Reaching for Sunlight
by HorrorFan6
Summary: Merman prince Adam has always been fascinated by the human world. So when he saves a human princess from drowning and falls in love with her, he vows to stop at nothing to win her heart, even if it means paying the ultimate price. Based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" with elements of the Disney film and Broadway musical.
1. Part 1

Part 1

**A/N: I'm not really sure if this counts as a fan fiction or not. It's more of a re-adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." However, since it contains nods and references to Disney's adaptation and the Broadway musical based on said film, I guess it's close enough. At any rate, "The Little Mermaid" is my favorite fairy tale and it really means a lot to me, so I really want to share this with you. It's an older story of mine; I wrote it a few years ago. But I treasure it and sincerely hope you enjoy it! **

Miles away from land and deep beneath the waves, a ball was underway. The underwater palace was teeming with life, filled with talking and laughing guests all swimming and floating contentedly about. In the great ballroom, a cavernous space made up of stone walls and a beautiful vaulted ceiling supported by elegantly carved pillars of rock, over a hundred merpeople were dancing in tune to the lovely and haunting melodies provided by a choir of mermaids in the corner.

On a raised platform sat the Sea King, Poseidon, atop his golden throne and clasping his silver magic trident in one hand. He was a tall, rather imposing figure with a swirling brown beard that was liberally streaked with gray. His head was adorned with a great golden crown laden with many precious stones and jewels, and he wore a large sword, tied with a long purple sash at his waist. His shoulders were covered by violet seashell shoulder pads, and a long red cape drifted and floated behind him. Just below his navel, his human torso melted seamlessly into the silvery tail of a fish, complete with a pair of fins at the end. His kind, slightly lined face was wearing a joyous smile, and his eyes were dancing with delight.

When the mermaids finished their song, he clapped the loudest and called, "That was beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!"

As the choir started their next song, Poseidon looked around at the three smaller thrones that sat beside his own. In the one closest to him was another merman, about twenty-one years old, with a wavy mass of black hair floating above his head and a blue tail. Like the king, he was dressed in royal attire: purple seashell pads, a jeweled crown, a sword, and a long violet sash that was tied at his chest. Beside him sat his young wife, a red-haired mermaid with a beautiful smile. Though she wore none of the fancy accessories her husband did, she had a lovely seashell necklace around her throat. Her trim waistline morphed into a long, slender tail covered in green scales.

The third throne was empty.

The king frowned. "Azure?" he asked, and the young merman seated beside the king looked around. "Where is Adam?"

Poseidon's eldest son looked over at the chair at the end. "I don't know, Dad," he replied, shrugging. "He's probably lost track of time. Punctuality isn't his strength."

Poseidon sighed in frustration. "No, it isn't." He snorted and added, "You were never late as often as he is. I told him the ball was tonight! How could he have forgotten?!"

"Calm down, Dad," Azure said sharply, for the trident in the king's hand had suddenly taken on a faint blue glow as his temper increased.

Poseidon looked at it and grunted, settling down. The glow faded and vanished as quickly as it had come. He glanced swiftly around the ballroom and was relieved to find that none of the guests had noticed his brief temper flare-up. "Thank you, Azure," he sighed. "But that boy had better get here soon. If I have to go out there and find him…"

He didn't finish the thought. He didn't have to.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon," said the mermaid seated beside Azure in a soothing voice. "He may very well be on his way now."

Poseidon snorted. "I hope you're right, Ariel," he said. "I hope you're right."

…

A fair distance away from the palace in a place known as Shipwreck Cove, eighteen-year-old Prince Adam was exploring a desolate and decaying hulk of rotted wood that had once been a sailing ship. He was tall and trim, with a handsome face and brown hair that floated and waved above his head. His tail was coated in green scales that flashed brilliantly when sunlight touched them. But now it was dark; the sun had set an hour before, and the darkness allowed the young prince to swim undetected.

"Adam, wait for me!"

The young merman looked around to see a tiny seahorse, only a few inches long, frantically swimming toward him. "You know I can't swim as fast as you can!" he squeaked.

Adam chuckled. "Sorry, Star." Then he turned his attention to the shipwreck in front of them. "What do you think happened to it to make it sink?" he asked.

"How should I know?" Star retorted, panting from his exhausting swim. "Could have been anything. A storm, maybe?"

"Hmm…" was Adam's only reply. He swam toward the towering hulk, tail fins flipping rapidly. Star groaned and followed. There was a large tear in the ship's hull, though it was impossible to tell if this is what had sunk the vessel or if it had happened upon impact with the seafloor. Either way, it provided a way for Adam to slip inside the dark interior.

"Adam!" Star squealed, hurrying to catch up.

"Come on, Star, hurry up!" Adam said a little impatiently. He was swimming slowly around a large room, strewn with a great deal of debris. A barrel lay on its side, resting against a fallen table. A globe was sitting on the floor, miraculously upright, right beside a chair that was missing two of its legs. There were quite a few shoes scattered around, and a fancy-looking hat had settled in a corner. "Look at all this stuff!" Adam whispered in awe and delight.

"Yeah…it's great," Star muttered, glancing warily around. The dark shadows in the corners provided great hiding places for bigger fish, possibly a bigger fish with an appetite for a tiny seahorse.

Adam swam over to the globe and picked it up. "I wonder what this is?" he mused. "Is it a toy of some kind?" He tossed it up experimentally and caught it, frowning in confusion. "Hmm…I don't think that could be much fun." He examined it for a moment longer before setting it down with a shrug. His attention turned to one of the shoes. "And this thing?"

"Maybe it's a hat?" Star suggested, swimming up to take a closer look.

Adam placed the shoe on his head. "How does it look?"

Star tilted his head, frowning. "Weird," he answered.

Adam sighed and took the shoe down, gazing at it. "Well, I've never understood why humans wear hats anyway." He tossed the shoe aside and looked around the room again.

"Hey, what's that?" Star asked suddenly.

Adam looked around and followed the seahorse's gaze. He blinked in surprise. On the floor was a black coat with golden buttons, but there was something else underneath it, for a long, thin chain snaked out from beneath its folds. He swam closer and carefully lifted the fabric to see a small, rounded object attached to the chain. It was a golden locket.

"What is it?" Star asked as his merman friend took the locket in his hand and raised it to eye-level.

"I'm not sure," Adam replied, frowning. "It's pretty, though…. I think it's a piece of jewelry or something." He noticed the clasp on the side and, curiosity overcoming him, carefully pried the locket open. He gasped. There was a picture inside, protected by a thin glass barrier. The black-and-white photo was of a beautiful young woman, probably around Adam's own age. She was smiling as though she hadn't a care in the world, her lovely oval-shaped face framed by a veil of long, soft-looking dark hair, and her eyes were deep and soulful. Adam sighed in awe, gazing down at the image, enraptured. "She's beautiful," he breathed.

He stared at the picture for a moment longer before snapping the locket shut. "I'm taking this back with me."

"Really?" Star seemed surprised. "But your father—"

"What Dad doesn't know won't hurt him," Adam said firmly. "Come on, let's see what else is here."

They swam into another room, which was bigger and more spacious. There were fewer objects littering the floor here, but a large banner of some kind was hanging from the ceiling, one torn edge flapping gently in the soft current. "They must have had some kind of party here or something," Star remarked.

Adam froze in mid-stroke, his eyes widening. "Party?" he said, and then he smacked his forehead with his palm. "The ball! Oh God, I completely forgot that was tonight! Dad's gonna fillet me!"

Star's eyes widened. "Uh-oh. You'd better be getting back!"

Adam nodded and swam off. "I'll catch up with you later, okay?" he called back over his shoulder. Then he swished his fins and sped off, still clutching the golden locket in one hand.

In a few minutes, he had reached the palace. Instead of entering through the front archway that served as the main entrance, though, he swam up the side of the stone structure, hoping no one was looking out from inside. He reached his bedroom and slipped in through the window. The first thing he did was shove the locket under his pillow, and just in the nick of time. The instant his hand was free, a servant swam through the woven seaweed curtain that hung over the doorway. "Your Highness!" he said, sounding relieved. "We've been looking all over for you! The ball—"

"I know, I know!" Adam moaned, darting over to the closet and seizing his sword, crown, seashell pads, and sash. "I forgot all about it! Is Dad angry?"

"Well, he doesn't seem too happy, but he hasn't raised a fuss yet," the servant replied, helping Adam fasten the sword around his waist. "Although that may just be because he doesn't want to alarm his guests."

Adam groaned. "He's going to kill me! He told me not to forget about this ball, and I promised I wouldn't! I can't believe it slipped my mind!"

He crammed the crown on his head and hastily tied the sash at his chest, fastening it with a small medallion with a trident symbol emblazoned on its surface while the servant put the shoulder pads in place. Finally finished, Adam hastily thanked the servant and then swam as fast as his fins could go down the hall toward the ballroom.

When he reached his destination, his heart sank. The party was breaking up, and only a few stragglers remained in the hall. They looked around at his entrance and bowed to him with murmurs of, "Your Highness." Adam bowed back to them, as was customary, but his attention was focused on the imposing merman that was swimming toward him, his arms crossed and trident faintly glowing threateningly.

Adam grinned nervously and said, "Uh…hi, Dad."

King Poseidon came to a stop a few feet away from his son and glared down at him. "Hello, Adam," he said coolly. "Do you recall what night it is?"

Adam nodded. "The night of the ball," he mumbled. "I'm sorry, Dad, I just…"

"Do you remember me telling you that the ball was tonight, and that it was imperative that you attend?" Poseidon asked, cutting Adam off.

"Yes," Adam said with a sigh. "I forgot, Dad! I'm sorry, really I am!"

Poseidon frowned, but at that moment, Azure and his wife Ariel approached them. "Ah! There you are, Adam!" the older prince said, smiling amusedly. "Let me guess, you lost track of the time again, right?"

Adam chuckled nervously. "Yeah."

Azure laughed jovially. "Figured," he said. Then he caught sight of his father's expression, and his grin slipped. "Well, I'm exhausted. I think I'm gonna call it a day. Good night, Dad."

And he swam away, his wife right behind him, leaving Adam alone with the king (the last guests had departed as well). There was a long, tense silence.

"So," Poseidon eventually said, sounding as though he was struggling to retain patience, "where were you tonight?"

Adam blinked. "Huh?"

"Where were you?" the Sea King repeated. "What were you doing that made you forget about the ball?"

"Ah…" Adam hesitated. He had never been good at lying, and he knew it. "I…was just swimming around," he said, refusing to meet his father's eyes.

"Really?" Poseidon said, and by his tone of voice, Adam knew he didn't believe him. "And can anyone back up your claim?"

"Star can," Adam replied, silently praying that he would be able to tip his seahorse friend off before his father found him.

"Oh, I'm sure he can," Poseidon said sarcastically. He knew the little seahorse was his son's best friend and would back him up no matter what. "Son, tell me the truth. I know you're not being honest with me. Where were you tonight?" He paused. "Did you go back up to the surface again?"

Adam allowed himself to look into his father's eyes. He could actually be truthful this time. "No, I didn't," he said, using his best indignant voice.

Poseidon raised his eyebrows. "Well then, if you weren't exploring the surface, where did you go?"

"I…" Adam struggled to find a suitable excuse, and then hung his head, knowing the game was up. "I went to Shipwreck Cove," he mumbled.

Poseidon growled. "Adam, we have been through this time and time again," he said angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from anything and everything human before you get it into your head?! They are dangerous, Adam! I've told you I don't know how many times—!"

"But Dad," Adam interrupted imploringly, "surely not all humans are bad, or all human things! Maybe if we learned more about them then we could use their artifacts to our advantage—"

"I will hear none of it!" Poseidon shouted, and his trident glowed brightly as his anger mounted. "Adam, I have told you before that you are forbidden from exploring the surface and from going to Shipwreck Cove! They are dangerous places! Why do you think contact between our two worlds has been prohibited?! I don't want to see you get hurt or killed like your mother, Adam. I do these things to protect you, and still you continue to disobey me!"

"But Dad—" Adam began.

"Enough!" Poseidon snapped. "This discussion is over. You are dismissed."

Adam opened his mouth to argue, but Poseidon turned away. The prince huffed angrily and whirled around, swimming away with enough force to leave a stream of bubbles behind him. He returned to his room, where Star was waiting for him. "How'd it go?" he asked.

Adam snorted and tore the crown from his head, tossing it carelessly aside.

"That bad, huh?" the little seahorse said sympathetically.

"He is so…so…" Adam struggled to find the right word as he ripped the sash and seashells from him and threw them haphazardly into the closet. "So…urgh!" He chucked the sword away and sat down on the edge of his bed, head in his hands. "He doesn't listen to a word I say! I tell him that I want to learn about the human world, and he goes off on a tangent about how they're all dangerous and killers and monsters and blah blah blah." He reached under his pillow and pulled out the golden locket, looking down at it with a wistful, longing expression. "Surely they can't be all bad, humans. I mean, I know some of them are cruel, and I know Mom was killed by one. But there are evil merpeople too. Our prison is proof of that. So what makes the human world so much worse than this one?" He opened the locket and gazed down at the girl's picture. "Look at her, Star. How could she possibly be cruel? Isn't it remotely possible that there are good humans? I just don't see how an entire world could be so bad, Star."

He sighed, closing the locket and slipping the chain over his neck. "I just want to know!" he burst out, rising and swimming over to his window. "What is it really like up there? I want to understand the human world, Star! I have so many questions, and there's no one I can ask, no one for me to turn to for answers…!"

He trailed off, staring up at the surface far above him. Then he frowned. "Star, look up there," he said suddenly. "What is it?"

Star swam forward and followed the merman's gaze. Up above, barely visible in the dim light, was a dark shape, barely a blot due to the distance. "I don't know," Star replied. "Whatever it is, it's on the surface."

The moment the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. Adam's face lit up and he began swimming up toward the shape. "Adam, wait!" the seahorse squeaked.

Adam ignored him, swimming quickly up to the surface and poking his head from the water. He gasped in shock and awe. The shape was a great wooden ship, its windows all lit up festively. A series of strange sounds were coming from its upper deck, where a number of humans were talking, laughing, and playing music on instruments that the merman prince had never seen before. There was a great deal of activity on board. Adam assumed it must have been a party of some kind.

Star caught up to him and squealed, "Adam, we shouldn't be up here!"

"Quiet, Star," Adam hissed, not tearing his eyes from the ship. "I've never seen humans this close before. I'm going to take a closer look, see what I can learn."

And he swam closer to the ship. Star moaned and followed reluctantly. The prince sank down so that only his head emerged from the water and went still, watching the hubbub with intense interest.

Suddenly, a streak of light shot upward from the ship with a high-pitched whistling sound. Adam jumped in surprise and yelped when it was immediately followed by a tremendous bang, an explosion of colored lights bursting in the air above him. It was, of course, a firework, but the merman knew nothing of it. Another went off shortly after, followed by another and another. Adam soon realized that they weren't causing any harm and stopped flinching when they exploded. In fact, once he took a closer look at them, he began to marvel at their beauty.

How long he stayed in the ship's shadow, he didn't know. But after a while, a middle-aged man walked onto the deck, hands raised and shouting for quiet. Silence fell, every head turned in the direction of the newcomer. "I present to you all, Princess Erica!" the man called, holding a hand out and bowing as another person stepped out from the ship's depths. It was a young woman, dressed in a regal gown that trailed down to her feet. Her hair was soft and brown, and her face was absolutely stunning. She seemed vaguely familiar to Adam, who watched Princess Erica smile and nod her head to the people around her. She turned her head in his direction, and though she couldn't see him, this new angle brought him to a realization.

"Star!" Adam breathed. "It's the girl from the picture!" He lifted the locket and opened it, staring down at the photograph in awe. Sure enough, the girl forever frozen in the tiny picture was the same young woman standing on the ship a few feet away. She didn't look much older in real life; the picture must not have been taken long ago. Adam returned his gaze to the princess on the deck, who was now speaking to the man who'd announced her arrival with a large smile spread across her face. "She is so beautiful," the prince sighed.

"Happy birthday, Your Highness," the middle-aged man was saying. "Eighteen years old, my goodness. It seems only yesterday you were a child running and playing all over the castle! And now…" He gestured toward her. "…what a fine young woman you have become, my dear."

Erica laughed pleasantly. "Oh Marcus, thank you. I couldn't have asked for a better advisor or friend through those years, especially after my father's death."

Marcus bowed to her, and she returned it. "And now," the advisor said, straightening and clapping his hands together, "it gives me great pleasure to present you with a gift, Your Highness."

At his words, two sailors brought out a large, square something concealed in a white sheet. "Oh, Marcus!" Erica gasped. "You shouldn't have!"

Marcus chuckled and motioned for the sailors to remove the sheet. The covering was swept off, revealing a fine painting done in rich colors and soft lines. Adam wasn't the only one who gasped in surprise. The painting was a perfect replication of the princess.

"Oh my gosh!" Erica said faintly, her hands at her mouth. Then she started to laugh. "Oh Marcus, you sneak! You told me the painting was going to some family friends!"

Marcus laughed with her. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, the deception was necessary."

Erica hugged him. "It's lovely. Thank you."

"You're welcome, my dear," the advisor replied. He sighed and added, "It gives me great pleasure to have watched over you and to see you now, all grown up and almost ready to take the throne…."

Erica's smile slipped a little, and she drew back. "Yes," she said quietly. "Almost."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Adam looked around warily. There was a storm coming, he could feel it. But he simply shrugged it off and returned his attention to the ship. Marcus was saying, "My dear, I know how you feel about marriage. But it's not just me. The entire kingdom wants you to find a prince that sweeps you off your feet."

"That's just the problem, Marcus," Erica said patiently. "I haven't found one that has swept me off my feet. All these princes asking for my hand…they're so shallow and don't see me for who I really am. I can't marry a man who won't take me seriously or be willing to let me be myself. I want a husband who will love me and whom I can love in return. Someone I know personally, someone who appreciates me, quirks and all, someone who can look beyond my status and love me for who I am…."

Marcus sighed. "I know, Erica. And believe me, the only thing I want is your happiness. We shall keep looking for a prince who suits your fancy and see how things go, yes?"

Erica nodded, smiling. "Yes, I suppose so. Now, enough talk of marriage. Play on, dear musicians!"

Almost immediately, the music resumed, and the sailors began dancing, taking turns with twirling Erica across the wooden deck. Adam watched her movements, so lithe and graceful. Her hair whipped around her face, and she smiled and laughed with delight. The merman prince was quite sure he'd never seen anyone so lovely before in his life. Watching her, he could feel his heart beating twice as fast as usual, and his breathing seemed a little shallow.

Time passed, and Adam continued to watch as the party wound down. Erica ended up leaning against the rail, gazing out at the sea. The waters were starting to get choppy; the ship bobbed up and down on the waves and rocked from side to side. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled again, closer this time. And still Adam stared up at the human girl, standing literally feet from him and totally unaware of his existence. "If only she could see me," the merman said to himself. "If only she knew I was here and how much I long to speak to her…"

Lightning flashed again and the ship gave a rather frightening lurch to the side. Erica stumbled and gasped as rain began to pelt the deck. "Your Highness!" Marcus called. "Let's get inside! There's a storm on the way!"

He was wrong. The storm was already there. A huge wave slapped the side of the ship, making it list ominously to the side. Its sails flapped and billowed in the suddenly-violent winds, and the wooden superstructure creaked loudly in protest. Adam was submerged by a wave but returned to the surface at once, eyes glued to the ship. The craft rolled and pitched, and the main mast snapped with a deafening crack. There were screams and yells from the men as they tried in vain to save the ship. A few of them set to work lowering a small wooden lifeboat.

Then the ship gave a mighty heave, and it split in two. Water gushed over the doomed vessel, sweeping the men into the sea. Erica, who had been stumbling around the deck, trying to return inside, let out a scream of terror before she was submerged. "Erica!" Marcus yelled, spluttering as he swam for the lifeboat, looking wildly around for the princess. "ERICA!"

Adam dove beneath the surface, suddenly filled with a sense of panic. Erica was slowly sinking, her struggles weakening as she ran out of air. She closed her eyes and went limp. "No!" the merman cried, darting toward her and seizing her around the waist. He pulled her back up to the surface and hesitated. Marcus was still crying out her name, but Adam didn't dare reveal himself to the men that had managed to clamber into the lifeboat. How would they react to seeing a merman? So Adam, making sure the princess' head was above the water, began to swim away from the ship. On one of his prior trips to the surface, he had discovered land nearby, and so he struck out toward it.

Two hours of fighting the waves and currents later, Adam deposited Erica, still unconscious, on a sandy beach. A few yards away, a gigantic castle loomed in the darkness, but the shore was quite deserted. "Oh please," he moaned, pressing his head to her chest. "Please don't be dead! Please don't be dead!"

He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the woman's heartbeat under his cheek and listened to the soft intake and outtake of air from her open mouth. He drew back, holding himself slightly over her to shield her from the rain. "It's okay," he whispered to her. "You're safe. I'll stay here with you. I won't let anything happen to you."

After an hour or so, the storm began to abate, and the night grew calm. Adam relaxed and lay beside the young woman, gazing at her with a longing expression on his face. He stayed beside her throughout the night, patiently waiting for her to wake up, occasionally singing softly to her but more often just studying her human form in fascination.

Hours later, as the sun began to peek above the horizon, Princess Erica finally began to stir feebly. Adam stiffened slightly, wondering what he should do. Every instinct within him was screaming for him to flee before he was seen, but he couldn't bring himself to leave the young woman's side. So after taking a deep, steadying breath, he started singing again, a soft melody of sweet, passionate longing, his voice strong and clear. Erica stirred again but Adam didn't waver in his song. The princess' eyes opened blearily, and she looked up groggily at the merman hovering over her. She blinked a couple of times, still disoriented. Adam stopped singing, reaching up with one hand to brush a stray hair from her face.

Then he heard voices, and his head jerked up. Several yards down the shoreline, the lifeboat was being pulled onto the beach. None of the men were looking his way, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he was discovered. He gazed down for a moment longer at Erica, his face drawn in desperate longing, and then he dove back into the sea, and not a moment too soon.

"Erica? Erica!"

Marcus, Erica's advisor, looked around and saw the princess lying prone on the sand. He was winded and battered by the storm but ran with the agility of a young man to where Erica slowly rose out of unconsciousness. She slowly sat up, one hand to her head. Marcus drew level with her and held out a hand to help her up. "Erica, dear! We thought you had been lost! Are you all right?"

"Yes, Marcus, I'm fine," Erica replied, standing shakily to her feet and looking around. "Where…where is he?"

"He?" Marcus repeated blankly. "He who?"

"That man!" Erica said, turning her head to look at him. "The man who rescued me! I heard him. He was singing to me." She paused, her gaze turning out to the sea. "He had…he had a lovely voice…"

"Oh, Erica," Marcus chuckled. "I think you might have swallowed a little too much seawater." He took her by the arm and began to lead her back up toward the castle. "Mystery men singing to you on the beach? Next you'll be seeing merpeople on the rocks!"

Unbeknownst to them, there was indeed a merman sitting on a large rock that jutted out from the sea a short distance from shore. Adam, hidden by the craggy stone, watched silently as the advisor led the princess up the beach to the towering structure beyond. Even once they were out of sight, he continued to gaze absently at the shore, a new, terrible ache growing in his chest, mingled with a peculiar sense of joy. The combination was bizarre and overwhelming. He subconsciously put a hand to his chest, where the golden locket still sat, and closed his fingers on it. "Oh Erica," he sighed. "If only you knew…"

He slowly slipped back into the water and swam back home. It was still too early for most of the merpeople to be out and about yet, which suited him just fine. He had to get back to the palace before his father realized he was missing. He once again darted into his room via the window, slid the locket back under his pillow, and lay down on his bed, staring absently at the stone ceiling. Despite the fact he hadn't gotten any sleep the previous night, he felt wide-awake and not the least bit tired. His heart was performing a rapid drum-roll against his ribs, and he couldn't banish the princess' image from his mind. This was an entirely new sensation to him, and he was unable to put a name to it for a few minutes.

Then he came to a sudden realization.

"I…I love her," he breathed.

The seaweed curtain over his door fluttered, and King Poseidon entered the room. "Good morning, Adam," he said, sounding as though he was putting an extra effort into being friendly. His mind was obviously still on their argument of the previous night, and he had come hoping to make amends.

Adam smiled happily. "Good morning, Dad," he said, sitting up and swimming over to greet his father. "Sleep well?"

Poseidon blinked, surprised by his son's warm tone. "Um…yes," he said, frowning slightly in confusion. "And you?"

"Very well, thanks," the prince replied, and humming to himself, he swam from the room, leaving his stunned father to stare silently after him.

Adam left the palace and began swimming aimlessly around, greeting other merpeople at random and singing under his breath. His mind was still filled with the image of Erica: her face, her hair, her captivating smile. He couldn't think of anything else. And with each passing moment, he became more and more certain that he had fallen in love with the human princess.

"Adam!"

The merman prince looked around and replied, "Hey, Star!" as the little seahorse swam up to him. He held out his index finger and allowed his friend to wrap his tail around it, rather like how a human might allow a butterfly to settle on their hand. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm all right," Star replied. "But that storm was pretty bad. It knocked me around a little and I had to return to the bottom."

"Oh, then you missed all the excitement!" Adam said, and he proceeded to tell his friend all about what had happened, how he had saved Princess Erica from drowning and fallen in love with her. By the time he had finished, the seahorse's eyes were wide with shock.

"Wow, Adam…that's…that's…" He cast around for a word to describe the situation and finally settled for "…something. But what will your father say when he finds out?"

Adam's smile slipped. "Dad can't know," he said urgently. "He'd be absolutely furious if he ever found out!"

"I won't tell him, I swear!" Star said quickly. "But…how do you expect this to work?"

Adam sighed. "I don't know yet, Star," he answered. "It would be so much easier if I didn't have…" He glanced in disgust at his tail and reached back to touch his fins, but they slipped just out of his reach. Grunting, he reached further, and, like a dog chasing its own tail, he spun around in a circle, hands outstretched. He started to chuckle, which soon turned to full laughter. Star giggled and shook his head. "Wow, Adam. You are a strange merman, you know?"

But Adam didn't stop laughing. Instead, his mirth seemed to mount, and he sank to the seafloor, lying down on a flat rock and positively roaring with laughter. Tears leaked from his eyes and his face turned a little pink. He choked and gasped, struggling for breath and still unable to contain his humor. Star hovered over him uncertainly, his head tilted in confusion. "Um…Adam? You okay?"

Slowly, Adam calmed down until he was able to speak again. "I'm sorry," he gasped with a small chuckle. "I don't know what's come over me. I…I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Not since, well…I don't even know when!"

Star shook his head as Adam sat up, still grinning. "You're weird," the seahorse declared.

"Yeah, I know," Adam sighed. "I'm probably the only merman who has fallen in love with a human. Well…being normal is overrated, anyway." His smile faded and he lifted his tail slightly, watching the sunlight reflect off his scales. "I…I wish I was human," he murmured. "It would make everything so much easier…."

Star couldn't think of a reply.

A short distance away, King Poseidon watched his son spin around, chasing his own fins, and sink to the ocean floor in uncontrollable laughter. He shook his head in confusion. What had gotten into the boy?

That question continued to hound the king throughout the day. Adam spent the hours swimming aimlessly around the kingdom, singing to himself with a distracted expression on his face. Star eventually gave up trying to talk to the merman and said good-bye, though he wasn't sure the prince had heard him, he was so lost in his thoughts. Poseidon tried multiple times to talk to his son, hoping to discover why he was acting so strangely, but every time he approached, Adam would swim away distractedly or would be surrounded by other merpeople. This, Poseidon thought, was a matter best handled privately, but finding a private moment with his son proved to be impossible. He thought he'd be able to speak with him after dinner, but when he peeked into the prince's room, he was surprised and dismayed to find Adam had decided to turn in early and was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling steadily and a small smile curling his lips.

The next day, Poseidon headed up to his son's room to wake him, intending to ask him if he was feeling okay. But he was surprised to find that the bedroom was deserted. Adam was already awake and sitting on a nearby rock, gazing absently up toward the surface, humming a song quietly to himself.

When he finally located his son, Poseidon sighed with relief and made to approach him, but at that moment Azure swam by. "Good morning, Dad," he said cheerfully. "What are you doing?"

Poseidon turned to his eldest. "I'm going to speak with Adam," he replied. "I'm going to find out why he's gotten into such a state."

"What do you mean?" Azure asked, looking over at where his younger brother sat.

"Yesterday he was swimming around like he was in a trance," Poseidon said. "He was chasing his tail and laughing like he'd heard the funniest joke in the world. And now he's just sitting there, his head in the foam. Do you know anything about it?"

Azure slowly smiled. "Well, Dad," he answered with a faint chuckle, "I may be wrong, but I think Adam has fallen in love."

Poseidon blinked. "Really?"

"Yes," Azure replied, nodding. "If you recall, I showed similar symptoms when I fell in love with Ariel. Remember?"

Poseidon chuckled. "Yes, I do. It was all I could do to get you to pay attention to where you were going. How many walls did you swim into again?"

Azure laughed pleasantly.

"So Adam's in love?" Poseidon mused, pondering his son with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I wonder with whom?"

Azure shrugged. "I don't know. But I wouldn't press him, Dad. You know how Adam is. He will tell us when he is ready and not a moment before."

"Hmm…" Poseidon continued to gaze thoughtfully at Adam as Azure excused himself and swam away. The king looked around to see Star swimming toward the prince. "Star!" he called out, and the little seahorse froze, his eyes wide with a combination of surprise and nervousness. "Would you come here for a moment please?"

Star swam over to the king and bowed his head. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Tell me," Poseidon nodded in Adam's direction. "You are my son's closest friend, so you must know who he's fallen for."

"F-fallen for?" Star repeated, blinking.

"Yes," the Sea King said, nodding. "Adam is showing telltale signs of being in love. Surely you've noticed?"

"Well," the seahorse said anxiously, "yes, I-I have noticed he's been acting a little, um, strange. But I really don't know who she is. He hasn't told me."

"Oh, I see," Poseidon sighed, obviously disappointed. "Very well, then. Thank you."

The seahorse bowed his head again and swam away. "I suppose I will just have to wait until Adam is ready to tell me," he muttered to himself.

But as the days passed, Adam showed no signs of wanting to discuss his feelings with his father. He continued to behave strangely: he was silent at mealtimes, swam in distracted circles throughout the palace, and sang melodies of such passionate yearning and desire that none who heard him were unaffected by it. Poseidon told himself over and over again to be patient, that Adam would talk only when he was ready, but as time went by, his curiosity turned into concern. He couldn't quite shake the suspicion that something was wrong.

One day, about a week after Adam's trip to the surface, Poseidon could bear the suspense no longer and swam out to the rock his son had been frequently seen sitting upon. To his relief, he found Adam there, gazing up at the surface far above, apparently lost in thought. "Adam?" he asked, and the young merman looked around, startled.

"Oh. Hi, Dad," he said, rising and facing his father.

"Adam, I was wondering if you could tell me something," the king said conversationally, smiling in a way he hoped wasn't condescending. "I can't help but notice that you've been acting strangely over the past several days. Is everything all right, son? You know you can talk to me about anything that might be on your mind."

Adam hesitated for a moment before he replied, "I'm okay, Dad. Really, everything's just fine."

"That's good," Poseidon said, nodding. "I'm glad nothing is wrong. But still, I cannot help but wonder why your behavior has changed so much." When Adam didn't offer an answer, the king added cautiously, "Is there, ah…a special someone who has brought about this change in you, Adam?"

Adam blinked once in surprise but said nothing, though a small, slightly guilty smile crossed his face. Poseidon took this as a confirmation.

"I was wondering who this special someone might be," the Sea King continued. "Could you perhaps fill me in, son?"

"Ah…" Adam broke eye contact, running a hand nervously through his hair. "Well…I, uh…I can't say."

Poseidon blinked, his smile slipping. "You can't say?" he repeated, confused. "But why not?"

With a slightly uncomfortable expression on his face, Adam shrugged. "Sorry, Dad, but I can't tell you. Besides, I don't think you'd believe me if I did."

And with that, he swam away, singing softly as he went, leaving his father to stare after him, mystified. His concern, rather than being relieved, had been intensified.

"Dad?"

Poseidon looked around to see Azure approaching. "Did Adam finally tell you who he's in love with?"

Poseidon shook his head. "No, he didn't…" He told his eldest what Adam had said, and Azure frowned.

"Hmm…" the younger merman said, gazing after his brother. "Let me talk to him, okay?"

"Be my guest," Poseidon replied, swimming away to see to his duties.

Azure found Adam drifting aimlessly among a small reef. The younger merman looked up at his brother's approach and grinned. "Hi Azure. How have you been?"

"Not bad," Azure answered, sitting down on a nearby rock and motioning for Adam to sit beside him, which he did. "And you? Wait, no need to answer, I already know." He chuckled. "You are head over fins in love, Adam."

Adam laughed nervously, his cheeks going slightly pink. "Does it show that much?"

"Oh yes," Azure replied, giving his brother a playful shove. "So tell me, who's the lucky mermaid?"

Adam's smile faded a little and he looked away. "I…I can't tell you," he said quietly.

"Oh come on," Azure pressed. "We've never held secrets from each other, little bro. If you don't want me to tell anyone else, I'll understand, but you can tell me. Come on, who is it? Someone I know?"

Adam smiled wryly. "No, you don't know her," he muttered. "Sorry, Azure, but things aren't so simple this time around. I can't tell you anything."

Azure's smile slowly faded. "Adam?" he asked slowly. "You haven't…you haven't done anything you shouldn't have, have you?"

Adam shifted uncomfortably and didn't answer. The bond between the two brothers had always been particularly strong, and he hated being so secretive with him. But how on earth was he supposed to explain this?

"Adam, you know you can trust me, right?" Azure said, leaning in close. "If you need me to keep a secret, I can, but…come on, it can't be that bad, right?"

Adam looked up at his brother and replied, "Um…"

Azure felt his heart sink. "How bad is it? Come on, Adam. You can trust me."

Adam hesitated for a moment. Then he sighed and said, "You can't tell Dad, okay? If he ever found out about this, he'd kill me."

Azure stared at his brother for a moment before answering, "All right. I promise. Not a word to Dad."

Adam paused again before he finally confessed, "I…I kind of went to the surface a few nights ago…"

As he told the story, Azure's eyes grew wide and his mouth opened in a small o. When he finished, the older brother stared in shock at the younger, unable to speak for several minutes. He finally managed to croak, "Oh, Adam…how could you…?"

Adam looked down at his fins. "I couldn't just let her drown, Azure! If you had seen her, the look of fear on her face, the way her struggles weakened as she ran out of air, you'd have done the same thing."

"Yes, I suppose so," Azure said weakly. "But…oh, Adam…contact between our worlds has always been forbidden! How on earth do you expect this to work out?"

"I don't know," Adam admitted. "But I love her, Azure. And one way or another, I will figure out how to make it work."

Azure didn't reply. He opened his mouth, but he couldn't think of a thing to say and quickly closed it again.

"Adam! Hey, Adam!"

The brothers looked around to see Star swimming toward them, looking excited. "What is it, Star?" Adam asked as the little seahorse came to a halt in front of them, panting slightly.

"Come on!" Star replied. "There's something I have to show you!"

Frowning in confusion, Adam turned back to Azure. "You promised," he reminded him. "Not a word to Dad, all right?"

Azure nodded, still unable to speak. Satisfied, Adam rose and followed the seahorse as he swam away in the direction of the palace. Azure stayed seated on the rock, gazing after him, his heart beating uncomfortably hard against his ribs.

"Azure?"

The young merman looked around to see King Poseidon coming toward him, looking hopeful. "Did he tell you anything?"

Azure hesitated for the briefest of moments before he replied, "Nope, not a thing."

Poseidon looked disappointed. "Oh. I thought for sure…you two have always been so close…"

Azure shrugged. "I guess he will tell us when he is ready." And he swam away. Poseidon gazed after him, head spinning in confusion. Something here wasn't right, and it was high time he figured out what….

…

Star led Adam back to the palace, swimming along the empty corridors toward the prince's bedroom. "Star, what is this about?" Adam asked a little impatiently.

"You'll see," the seahorse replied with a giggle. "It's a surprise."

Adam snorted; he'd never been much of a fan of surprises.

They reached the seaweed curtain that blocked off Adam's room from the rest of the palace. "Close your eyes," Star ordered, and the prince reluctantly obeyed. The seahorse led his friend slowly into the room and then said, "Okay, now open them."

Adam opened his eyes and gasped. Propped against the wall near his window was a large painting. The very same painting that Adam had seen presented to Princess Erica aboard the ship. "Oh…my…God!" the prince breathed, swimming up to take a closer look, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Star! How…where…?"

Star chuckled. "It must have gone down with the ship. I found it in the wreck over near the rocks. I talked to some fish friends that were more than happy to help bring it here. Don't worry, they won't say anything about it to anyone."

"Star, you're the best!" Adam cried, swimming over to his bed and pulling out the locket. Opening it, he held the picture up beside the painting. "It looks just like her, too!" He slowly lowered the chain, closing the locket with a snap and clutching it in his hand, eyes glued to the painting. "She's just as beautiful as I remember," he sighed, reaching up to gently stroke the princess' face. "Thank you, Star. This is…this is the best gift anyone's ever given me."

"You're welcome, Adam," the little seahorse replied, smiling to see his friend so happy.

Adam continued to gaze up at the image of his beloved for a while longer. Then he said, "I've got to find a place to put it. Somewhere Dad won't find it…"

"Where I won't find what?"

Adam whirled around and gasped. King Poseidon had just entered his youngest son's room. His eyes went from Adam to the painting, and he blinked, momentarily too stunned to react. And then his face darkened in anger, and his trident began to glow, always a bad sign. Adam rose a little so that he blocked most of the painting from view, but it was far too late for that.

"What…is…that?" the king said, his voice shaking, eyes on the frame of the painting, which his son couldn't completely conceal.

"Uh…it's…it's…" Adam stammered, frantically looking for a loophole in his situation and finding none. "It's, well…ah…it's…a painting."

"A painting," Poseidon repeated with a snarl. "Of a human! A human artifact in my palace?! How could you even consider…?!"

"But Dad, it's harmless!" Adam cried. "Look at it!"

"I _am_ looking at it," Poseidon growled. "And do you know what I see? I see a piece of the human world. I don't need to look any closer to know that it shouldn't be here! How dare you, Adam! How could you possibly bring something like that into this palace?!"

Adam didn't answer. He didn't want to get Star in trouble with his father, but he couldn't think of anything to say. He turned his head to look up at Erica's smiling face, and his heart contracted. She was so beautiful, and so far away…

"No…" the Sea King breathed, and Adam turned his gaze back to him. He was looking from the painting to his son and back again. Adam's heart missed a beat. "Don't tell me you… it's not possible! I knew you were acting strange lately, but it can't be…"

Adam didn't say anything. His heart was hammering too hard for speech.

"Don't tell me you are in love with that girl!" the king roared.

Adam flinched and looked away, blushing. "Dad, she's not bad, I swear!" he said. "And how do you know?!" his father shouted. "How could you possibly know what she's like?!"

"Because…I saved her," Adam mumbled.

Poseidon's jaw dropped in shock. Then his face contorted in rage. "You…WHAT?!"

"Her ship sank in a storm, she would have drowned if I hadn't helped!" Adam said in a rush. "I couldn't let her die! She's not evil or cruel, she's sweet and kind and gentle and…and…" He straightened and looked back at his father. "And I love her, Dad. And there's not a thing in the world you can do to change it."

The Sea King stared at his son for a long moment, too furious to speak. When he finally unstuck his throat, he spoke in a deadly whisper. "Have you lost your mind?! She's a human, and you are a merman!"

"I don't care!" Adam said defiantly. "I love her, and I will find a way to tell her…!"

"I forbid it!" Poseidon shrieked. "Contact between our worlds is forbidden, and I'm going to get it through to you." He raised the trident, now glowing a violent shade of electric blue. "One way or another."

He reached out with his free hand, grabbed Adam by the wrist, and hurled him aside. He hit the opposite wall and grunted, looking around wildly as Poseidon leveled the trident at the painting. "Dad, NO!" he cried.

A jet of red light shot from the three prongs of the trident, tearing through the canvas and destroying it completely. The force of the spell was enough to crack the stone wall behind the ruined remnants of the painting. Tattered shreds of canvas floated to the floor and landed in a shapeless heap. Adam stared at the spot for a long moment, face blank and expressionless in his shock. Then his eyes hardened, and he swam away through the open window, Star flurrying to keep up. "Adam!" Poseidon shouted. "Adam, get back here! We aren't finished!"

Adam barely slowed as he looked over his shoulder and yelled an obscenity at the king. Then with one last flash of his fins, he hurried away, leaving his father to stare after him in shock and fury.

**A/N: Hope you're enjoying it so far! **


	2. Part 2

Part 2

**A/N: Here's Part 2 of 3. I hope you're enjoying the story! **

Adam didn't stop swimming until he was several miles from the palace. Only then did he allow his speed to decrease, and he drifted down to sit on a large rock on the seafloor, still breathing heavily from a combination of exertion and anger. As Star joined him, he suddenly became aware of an object clasped in his left hand, and glancing down, he was mildly surprised to find he still clutched the golden locket tightly in his fist. He opened it and gazed down at the picture sadly as the little seahorse swam down toward him. "Adam, I'm so sorry," he said. "I should have known better than to hide the painting in your room. I should have found a better place for it."

"It's not your fault, Star," Adam murmured, still staring at the photo. "It's Dad's. If he would just listen to me…!" He sighed and snapped the locket closed, slipping the chain over his neck. "I don't know what to do anymore," he moaned, laying his head in his hands. "He'll be impossible to live with now that he knows. If only there was a way I could join Erica up there…"

He gazed down at his fins for a long moment, watching the sunlight reflecting off his scales. Then an idea came to him. A crazy idea, one he would never have normally given a second thought. But now…

He rose and resumed swimming. "Adam?" Star asked, hurrying to catch up. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Calypso," Adam replied, his voice shaking a little.

Star gasped. "The Sea Witch?! But Adam, she…"

"I know," Adam interrupted, looking back at his seahorse friend. "But if there's anyone on the seafloor that can help me, it's her."

And he swam on. "I have a bad feeling about this," Star muttered, but he followed.

The Sea Witch lived in a cave several miles to the north of Poseidon's kingdom. By the time Adam reached it, night had fallen and darkness settled over the ocean floor. The cave's mouth was a huge maw that resembled the jaws of a mythical monster waiting patiently to chomp down on its prey. Adam took a deep breath, steeling himself to enter. But before he could muster up the courage, a low, gravelly female voice issued from inside.

"Come in, my dear prince. Don't you know it's rude to linger in doorways?"

Adam and Star exchanged nervous glances before the merman swam slowly into the cave. Allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he saw a large stone cauldron sitting in the center of the large room, over a magical fire that burned underwater. A stone shelf laden with bottles and vials of nameless, mysterious contents was situated on the far wall, and leaning against the cauldron was the Sea Witch.

Adam stared. He had never seen anything quite like her before. From the head to waist, she had the body of a woman: gray, wrinkled skin, wavy black hair, and horrid yellow eyes with slit pupils. Her fingernails were pale and long, and Adam imagined that they could be used as a weapon if necessary. At her waist, though, her body morphed into the body of an octopus: eight long, fat green tentacles writhed and slithered against the stone floor of the cave. Adam couldn't quite suppress a shudder.

"You know, it's also rude to stare, my dear prince," said Calypso, her eyebrows raised. She didn't sound offended; on the contrary, she seemed to be enjoying the merman's obvious discomfort.

Adam blushed. "I…I'm sorry."

Calypso didn't answer. Instead, she moved around the front of the cauldron so that she and the prince were only a few feet apart. "I know why you are here," she said.

"You do?" Adam asked, startled. "But how could you…?"

The Witch laughed. The sound resembled two rocks rubbing against each other. "Oh my dear prince, I know a great many things," she said. "More than you can possibly imagine. For example, I know you are at odds with your father, King Poseidon, over a certain human girl…a princess…"

Adam nodded.

The Witch snorted. "You realize, of course, that what you are here to ask of me is very foolish, don't you? Despite your differences with your father, you still have a great deal to be grateful for, and you are willing to throw it all away for the sake of one woman in the world above."

Adam didn't answer.

"However," Calypso continued with a small smile, "I am feeling particularly generous tonight. So I will give you what you desire."

"You will?" Adam asked, hardly daring to believe it.

The Witch held up her hand. "Oh, dear prince, don't think you'll be getting away free. You haven't heard me out. Yes, I will give you what you want: I will make you a potion that will turn you into a human. But the process will not be pleasant." She smiled cruelly, revealing jagged, uneven teeth. "The transformation will feel as though a sword has been driven into your tail, a pain so intense that it would be easier to die. And once you are a human, each step you take will cause you great agony, as though you were treading on sharp glass. And you will never be able to return to the sea, forever separated from your family and friends. But if you decide to go through with this, you will have the finest pair of human legs the world has ever seen. Your movements will be smooth and graceful, as if you were swimming on the land. Women will fawn over you and want to be yours. But be warned: if you fail to win the love of your princess, the spell will break. If she marries another man, you will die of a broken heart, and upon the sunrise following her wedding, you will dissolve into sea foam and cease to exist."

Adam's heart contracted, but he took a deep breath and said, "All right, I'll do it."

The Sea Witch chuckled darkly. "Very well, then. Let's discuss payment."

"Payment?" Adam repeated blankly. "But I don't have anything."

"Oh yes you do," Calypso said lazily. "And I warn you, it is no mere trifle I ask for. This potion requires my own blood, so I will require nothing less than your most prized possession."

Adam's hand went compulsively up to his chest, covering the golden locket.

The Witch laughed. "I have no desire for human trinkets!" she said. "No, what I want from you is…your voice."

Adam blinked. "My voice?"

"Yes," Calypso replied, nodding. "You have the most beautiful voice of any merman in the sea, and I must have it if you are to acquire my potion."

"But without my voice, how will I be able to win Erica's heart?" Adam asked nervously.

"You'll have your looks," the Witch pointed out with a bite of impatience. "Your handsome face. Your eyes…they are the windows to the soul, after all!" She laughed. "And of course, let's not overlook the power of body language, dear prince. Your voice is the price for your legs. Make your choice. Do you want my potion or not?"

Adam hesitated. "Adam, no!" Star hissed fearfully.

Adam took a deep breath and straightened. "Yes," he said. "Let it be done."

The Sea Witch smiled cruelly and moved over to behind the cauldron. From the stone floor she lifted up a large conch shell, blood red in color and glowing faintly. Adam gasped involuntarily. It was her magic shell. According to the legend, she had sold her soul for it, and it was the source of all her magic powers.

Calypso ignored Adam's shock and began reciting incantations in a language the merman didn't recognize. As she spoke, the shell's glow intensified, throwing scarlet light on the stone walls of the cave.

"Very well," said the Witch after a moment. "Now sing. Sing your voice to me."

Adam cleared his throat and began to sing, the notes rolling from his mouth effortlessly and echoing off the stone. As he sang, he felt something round and hot rising in his throat, and he gagged. The next moment, a little golden orb of light was drifting in front of his face, continuing to emit his song. Adam clasped his neck and tried to speak, but no sound came out. His voice drifted away, still releasing his song into the water, and settled into the opening of the magic shell before it went silent. The Witch laughed and began to work over her cauldron, pouring a series of ingredients into it, once pulling out a knife and slitting her own breast and allowing her black blood to drip into the simmering potion. All this she did with her tentacles; her hands were still clasping her magic shell. A thick veil of steam poured from the cauldron, screening Calypso from Adam's sight for a moment and rendering him unable to see what she was doing.

Finally, she handed a small vial out to him, and he took it with trembling fingers. "Now take this and swim to the surface," she instructed him. "Before the sun rises, drink it, and at dawn, your fins will turn into the legs you desire. But remember what I said: in order to keep them, you must win your dear princess' heart. Understood?"

Adam nodded.

"Now go!" the Witch said. "Dawn approaches!"

Adam turned and fled the cave, the potion clasped in his hands and Star trailing along behind him. Minutes later, he had reached the surface and began swimming in the direction of Princess Erica's castle. By the time he reached the beach, the sky was beginning to lighten, and a pink tinge was appearing on the horizon. Settling himself on the sand, Adam uncorked the vial, took a deep breath, and drank the potion. He grimaced at the bitter taste and shuddered as it went down, chilling him down to his very soul. He hurled the empty vial back out into the ocean and settled back to wait.

"Adam?" Star said, swimming around in one of the tidal pools nearby. "Are you sure about this?"

Unable to speak, Adam merely shrugged as if to say, "Too late to turn back now."

Star sighed. "Is there anything I can do for you, my friend?" he asked sadly.

Adam looked down in pity at the little seahorse. He reached down and gently rubbed him with his forefinger. Then a thought occurred to him, and he raised his finger to his lips. "Be quiet?" Star inquired.

Adam put his hands up, miming placing a crown on his head.

"The king?" Then Star's eyes lit up. "Don't tell your father about this?"

Adam nodded, smiling.

Star sighed. "Okay. Your secret is safe with me, Adam."

Adam sighed and mouthed, "Thank you."

They sat there for several minutes in silence, both watching as the sky continued to grow lighter and lighter with the approaching dawn. And then the first golden rays of the sun peeked over the horizon, and immediately Adam gasped and convulsed in agony. A sharp pain sliced through his insides, starting at his waist and working its way down to his fins. He opened his mouth to scream, but of course, nothing came out. For a terrible moment he feared that the Sea Witch had tricked him, that she'd sold him a poison and that he was going to die in the most painful way imaginable, her punishment for his attempt to change his very nature. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he writhed in agony, feeling his fins tear apart and reform….

Then, just as quickly as it started, the pain started to subside. Gasping and choking, Adam looked down at where his tail had been and gasped in awe. He now had a pair of human legs, well-muscled and shapely, covered thinly with brown hair. He smiled broadly and reached out with shaking fingers, touching them as if making sure they were real. This was it! He was a human!

He reached out for a rock that was nearby and used it as a support as he rose unsteadily to a standing position. The moment his new legs took his weight, however, a new, sharp pain shot through his feet, from ankle to toe and up to mid-calf. He gasped and stumbled, leaning heavily on the rock and grimacing. "Oh no," Star moaned. "Well, the Witch did say it was going to be painful…"

Adam nodded, gritting his teeth. He wasn't going to let this pain get in the way of his joy. He took another unsteady step and winced at the agony. The Witch had been too kind with her words: his feet didn't feel as though he was walking on sharp glass. They felt as though a sword was cutting them to pieces, the blade driving in deep and twisting around, severing tendons, tearing muscles, breaking bones. But he took a deep, steadying breath and began walking, his legs wobbly and his steps tottering, but he determinedly kept moving for several minutes until he managed to go at a steady pace despite the pain. "You've got it!" Star cried happily, watching his friend's progress around the rock.

Adam smiled triumphantly. Yes, he could do this! It still hurt a great deal, and multiple times he checked the soles of his feet just to make sure they weren't actually bleeding, but he thought that, with a little time, he could learn to tolerate it. Anything to be close to the princess…

Almost the moment the thought entered his head, he heard something and turned his head toward the sound. It was a voice, female, and it was singing. The tune was very familiar to Adam: it was the same song he had sung to Erica after he'd rescued her. That meant the singer had to be Erica, and she was heading toward him.

Adam looked down at himself and realized for the first time that he was completely naked. Though his lack of clothes didn't bother him, he had figured out that humans frowned on nudity, so he looked desperately around for anything to use as a cover. His eyes fell on a strip of torn sail a few yards away, and he lunged for it, wrapping it around his waist just as Princess Erica crested the dune behind him, still singing the song she had heard as she rose from unconsciousness.

"Oh my!" she gasped when she saw Adam.

The merman prince looked around at her, and their eyes met. In that moment, Adam's heart soared happily. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He was face-to-face with the woman he loved more than anything on earth. She stared at him in shock for a moment before walking over to meet him. "Are you all right?" she asked, sounding concerned.

Unable to speak, Adam nodded vigorously.

"Were you shipwrecked?" Erica asked, glancing at the sea.

Adam hesitated for a brief moment before he nodded again.

"Oh you poor thing," the princess said sympathetically. "The ocean isn't kind, is it?"

Adam shrugged.

"What is your name?"

Adam sighed sadly and put his hand to his throat. Erica frowned. "What's the matter?" she asked, confused. "You can't speak?"

Adam shook his head.

"Oh," Erica said. "I'm sorry. Well, could you perhaps mouth your name for me, and I'll see if I can understand it?"

Adam complied, and Erica studied his lips. "Adam?" she verified, and the merman nodded excitedly, smiling. "It's a nice name," the princess said, smiling as well. "I am Princess Erica."

Adam bowed to her, and as he did, the golden locket dangled from his neck, glinting in the early morning sunlight. Erica noticed and stared at it. "What is that?" she asked, pointing to it.

Adam straightened and pointed to it questioningly. "Yes," Erica replied. "It looks very familiar to me. May I?"

Adam nodded, lifting the chain from his neck and handing it over to her. She opened the locket and gasped, gazing down at the picture. "It…it is!" she breathed. "This is my father's locket! Wherever did you find it?"

Adam, deciding that she wouldn't understand if he told her he'd found it on the ocean floor, gestured around at the beach around them. "You found it here?" Erica asked. "Well…it must have washed up at some point. You see, it was my father's, but he died in a shipwreck two years ago." Her voice wavered, and tears filled her eyes. Adam reached out and stroked her cheek, and she looked up at him, smiling. "Thank you for finding it," she said. "It means so much to have it back."

Adam inclined his head. A part of him was sad to let the locket go, but he shoved those thoughts aside. He didn't need the picture. He had the real thing right in front of him.

"Well," said Erica, composing herself, "let's get you up to the palace. I'll have the servants draw you a bath and get you some clean clothes, okay? And then you would be welcome to join me for lunch, if you'd like."

Adam smiled broadly and took a step toward her. He had forgotten about the pain to come and gasped, staggering. Erica caught him with a small cry of surprise and said, "Steady there! You've been through a lot. Just take it easy."

Adam nodded, wincing slightly as he took another step and pain shot up his foot and leg. This was going to take a lot of getting used to. As he passed the tidal pool where Star lay hidden, the merman gave a tiny wave to his seahorse friend, who nodded and swam back out into open ocean. He felt a small pang of sadness and he hoped he would see the little seahorse again, but now wasn't a time for mourning or regret.

Erica led him up to the castle and handed him over to a trio of servants, who immediately set to work preparing a bath for the castaway. Once he was clean and dressed in a pair of fine black slacks and a white shirt, he was shown by a butler to the dining hall, where Erica was waiting for him with her advisor Marcus. "Ah, so this is our shipwrecked guest!" the middle-aged man said, coming forward to shake Adam's hand. "Adam, right?" Adam nodded. "Well, Adam, I am terribly sorry about your circumstances, but you are welcome to join us at this table. As thanks for recovering her father's locket, Her Highness has requested…"

"Thank you, Marcus, but I can speak for myself," Erica said, laughing. Marcus, grinning, bowed, and the princess turned to Adam. "As thanks for recovering my father's locket, I would like to extend an invitation to you, Adam. Would you like to stay here at the palace with me? At least until we can get you recovered and well enough to travel?"

Adam beamed and nodded, bowing to her.

"Wonderful!" Erica clapped her hands together. "Then it's settled. You are welcome to stay as long as you like, Adam."

Adam took Erica's hand in his and kissed it, which made the princess giggle. "You're welcome, my friend," she said. "Now come, lunch is ready!"

Adam sat down beside the woman of his dreams and was presented with a platter of meat, topped with a frilly garnish. He stared at it blankly; he'd never seen food like this before, and he was completely stumped by the silverware on either side of the plate. Taking a deep breath, he reached out, took the garnish in his hand, and bit gingerly down on it. He had only been chewing for a second or two before he realized two things: one, it didn't taste good at all; two, Erica and Marcus were both staring at him with blank, wide-eyed expressions of confusion. Adam felt himself blush.

"I, ah…take it they don't use garnishes back where you come from?" Marcus asked after a moment, chuckling.

Adam shook his head, his face still red with embarrassment.

"Marcus," Erica chided, "don't tease him! He's new to this area, and he doesn't know our customs. He was just trying to be polite, weren't you?" She turned to Adam, who smiled appreciatively.

After that, Adam observed Erica's every move carefully. Thus, he learned how to use a fork and knife, figured out how to take sips from a goblet of water (merpeople don't need to drink, as they are constantly submerged and thus always hydrated, so the concept of needing to drink was totally new to him), and picked up on table manners. The rest of the meal went off without a hitch. Erica told him all about her kingdom and what she did, and the merman listened with rapt attention, drinking in every word.

"If you like," she said as the servants whisked away the dessert plates, "we could go for a ride tomorrow. I'll have the grooms tack up two horses."

Adam tilted his head in confusion.

"What?" Erica asked, frowning. "Do you not ride horses where you come from?"

Adam shook his head.

"Oh," Erica said, blinking in surprise. "Well then, I'll just have to teach you, won't I?"

Adam smiled gratefully.

That evening, he was shown to a bedroom by a well-dressed servant, who bade him good night and closed the door quietly behind him as he left. Adam looked around in awe at the great chamber, decorated with lavish curtains and elegant paneling. The bed was enormous and very soft. He sat down on it, and his body sank into the mattress. He sighed happily, grateful to take his weight off his tender, sore feet. Settling beneath the covers, he gazed out at the sea beyond his window, lit by the light of the silvery moon, and briefly wondered what his father and brother were doing before drifting away into a deep, undisturbed sleep.

…

Back on the ocean floor, King Poseidon was pacing the throne room in a state of panic. Adam had been missing for a full day now, and there wasn't a sign of him anywhere. He'd already called in Star and interrogated him, but the little seahorse had told him that he'd been unable to keep up with the prince and had no idea where he'd gone. This news had made the king even more frantic. He'd organized search parties and had them looking all over the kingdom nonstop, but there had been no success yet.

Azure entered the throne room, and Poseidon looked around. "Well?" he asked desperately.

"No sign of him anywhere, Dad," Azure said sadly. "The search parties have combed every inch of the kingdom, and we've given word to some of the surrounding territories to be on the lookout for him, but we haven't found him yet."

Poseidon groaned. "Well…keep searching! Tell the parties to continue looking for him. Check everywhere, leave no stone unturned and no coral unexplored. Check the reefs, the caves, the rocks, the chasm, even Shipwreck Cove. Let no one in this kingdom rest until he is found!"

"We're doing all we can, Dad," Azure replied quietly, turning to leave.

"Azure," Poseidon added, and his eldest paused. "Thank you."

Azure nodded. "We'll find him, Dad. If we have to search 'round the clock, we'll find him."

He laid his hand on his father's shoulder for a moment before swimming away, leaving the king alone in the throne room. Poseidon gazed out the window absently, watching a school of fish as they hurried along in the darkness. "What have I done?" he murmured to himself. "Dear God, what have I done?"

…

When Adam woke the next morning, his first thought was that he must have been dreaming. He was in an unfamiliar room bathed in sunlight, lying in a soft and very comfortable bed. He blinked several times as his sleep-addled brain tried to put the pieces together. Then his eyes widened and he threw the sheets back, gazing down in delight at his legs. It wasn't a dream at all! He was a human. In his excitement, he momentarily forgot about the Sea Witch's warning, and he swung his legs out of the bed and stood up. He gasped and fell as his feet seared with an awful sharp pain that made the prospect of walking very unpleasant. But he gritted his teeth and rose again, using the bedpost for support and grimacing. He would not let this get in the way. It would definitely take some time, but he would endure the agony if it killed him.

With the help of a servant who entered not long afterward, Adam got dressed and was shown to the dining room for breakfast, which he managed to completely consume without embarrassing himself. He was then informed that Princess Erica was down at the stables waiting for him. Even though he didn't know what a stable was, he nodded and allowed the servants to show him the way.

"Ah, Adam!" said Erica upon his arrival, looking happy to see him. "I was beginning to fear you'd gotten lost."

Adam smiled and shrugged. Then he took a closer look at the creature standing beside her. It was a tall, chestnut-colored horse, with a long mane and tail that floated and drifted in the soft breeze. It watched the newcomer with large eyes filled with wary curiosity and reached its head out to sniff him. It snorted; it could sense that this young man wasn't entirely human.

"You still want to learn how to ride?" Erica asked.

Though a little unnerved by the horse's sheer size, Adam nodded. Erica beamed and led him out to a large riding arena, followed by a groom that led another horse, this one a Paint. The princess then helped the merman mount the second horse and began instructing him in how to carry his body and hold the reins. Though he couldn't tell her, Adam was relieved to be on the horse's back; it gave his sore feet a chance to recover from the agony of walking. As Erica mounted the chestnut and rode alongside him, she continued to tell him how to ask for certain responses from the horse. It turned out that she was a very competent horsewoman, and Adam learned quickly under her guidance. Several hours later, he had mastered the walk and had already gotten a good start on learning to trot. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it was with a little sadness that he finally dismounted, grimacing as his feet once again connected with the ground and began to hurt anew.

As the grooms began removing the saddles and bridles from their mounts, Erica led Adam down to the beach, where they settled down to a picnic lunch. Erica talked to him about the horses, and Adam listened in rapt attention, completely captivated by the sound of her voice. "My father taught me how to ride when I was a little girl," she told him. "I've always loved them. Marcus sometimes says that my passion for horses is too strong, but I think he's secretly scared of them."

Adam chuckled silently.

When they had finished eating, they took a leisurely stroll down the shoreline, their feet submerged in the shallow waters that ebbed and flowed in its normal, soothing rhythm. To his surprise, Adam found that the pain in his feet was somewhat muted when the waves rushed over them, and he smiled inwardly. He'd have to remember that.

Around mid-afternoon, Marcus came running down from the castle toward them, looking a little flustered. "Your Highness!" he gasped, panting from his run over the sand. "You should be getting ready for the ball!"

"Oh!" Erica smacked a hand to her forehead. "I forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me, Marcus." She turned to Adam and explained, "Every year around this time, we host a ball, a tradition started by my father. You're more than welcome to attend, if you want to."

Adam nodded, smiling and secretly amused that he wasn't the only royal who occasionally forgot about parties.

Erica smiled too and said, "Well then, I'll see you there. Marcus, make sure Adam has something to wear, won't you?"

"Of course, Your Highness," the advisor replied, bowing. "Now come on, you must get ready!"

The three of them began to head back up to the palace. As they walked, Marcus said, "And Erica, there is a young man hoping to meet you. He is Prince Charles of Glowerhaven, and he is showing interest in getting to know you."

"Oh for goodness' sake," Erica grumbled. "He's not fooling me for an instant. He wants to marry me as well, doesn't he?"

Adam's heart missed a beat at these words, but neither Erica nor Marcus seemed to notice. "Well…" the advisor said, looking uncomfortable, "I imagine that those are his eventual plans, yes."

Erica sighed in irritation. "Tell this prince that he is welcome to attend our ball, but he is not to get his hopes up. I will not marry a man I don't know or love. We've been through this before, Marcus."

"Yes, Your Highness," Marcus murmured, and Adam's heart lifted considerably.

…

Adam was stunned when he entered the castle's gigantic ballroom that evening. It was truly magnificent, two stories tall with a huge picture window that overlooked the ocean. The ceiling was supported by a series of tall ivory columns, and a grand piano was situated in the far corner, played tonight by the court musician Andersen, who had the ability to turn a simple piece into a lovely, flowing song that touched the very soul. Adam, dressed in a simple yet elegant navy suit, watched on the sidelines as dozens of couples danced around the room in tune to the music. His eyes did not stray far from Erica as she moved about the room, speaking to many people with a courteous smile on her face. She looked positively radiant in her blue satin gown, and as he watched her Adam thought his heart might just stop beating completely.

As Andersen started a new song on the piano, Erica hurried over to where Adam stood and said, "Would you like to dance, my friend?"

Adam, who had been jealously watching the dancers for almost an hour, studying their motions and committing them to memory, nodded and took the princess' hand, walking out onto the dance floor. He took her waist in one hand and clasped her other hand in his and began to move around the room. At first his steps were tentative and uncertain, but after a little while, he got the hang of the motions and became a bit more confident. By the time the song had ended, they were sweeping grandly around the ballroom, and the smile on Erica's face never wavered once. Despite the searing agony dancing had stirred in his feet, Adam was enthralled by the experience, his heart pounding with the realization that the woman he loved was so close to him, her hand folded in his own, the scent of her perfume filling his nostrils…

It wasn't until the song had ended and they had stopped dancing that Adam realized that they were suddenly the center of attention. Almost everyone was staring at them in shock and awe, and not a few in jealousy. Adam felt himself blush a little but was very pleased when Erica giggled and said, "You dance very well, Adam."

He bowed to her and kissed her hand, but he did not get the chance to ask her to dance again, as he was suddenly approached by another young woman, who took his hand and forcibly steered him away as the next song started. Adam meekly complied and danced with her, though he couldn't stop himself from glancing at Erica every time they passed each other. She was dancing with Prince Charles and had a distinctly bored expression on her face, and she smiled at the merman whenever their eyes met. Adam tried to ask her to dance again after the song had ended, but another woman stepped in his path and, unable to refuse her, he again found himself dancing with someone he didn't know, wishing desperately he was with his beloved. He recalled the Sea Witch's declaration that he would be the object of women's affections, but he hadn't figured on it being such a problem.

At long last, he managed to reach Erica and held out his hand, smiling. Looking very pleased to see him, the princess accepted his offer, and the pair swept once more around the ballroom, blissfully ensconced in their own world and unaware of the stares and glances directed their way.

At the end of the evening, tired yet totally exhilarated, Adam walked down the palace hall with Erica at his side. "I had a wonderful time tonight, Adam," the princess said to her friend. "Thank you."

Adam inclined his head to her, smiling, as they reached the door to his chamber.

"Tell me," Erica said suddenly, and she sounded a little nervous. "What do you plan on doing? You know, once you feel well enough to travel. Will you set out for your homeland?"

Adam hesitated, unable to tell her that his homeland wasn't land at all and was now totally inaccessible to him. He shook his head slowly. Erica's eyes lit up.

"Would you stay here at the palace?" she asked, looking as though she was trying not to appear eager but not quite pulling it off.

Adam bowed to her, clearly saying, "If it is what you wish."

"You are welcome here, Adam," Erica said, smiling broadly. "Of course you may stay. Nothing would please me more."

Adam kissed her hand and was totally surprised though thoroughly pleased when Erica reached up to hug him. When she pulled away, there was a pink tinge to her cheeks. "Sleep well, Adam," she said, and then she walked away, pausing at the corner to wave to him before vanishing.

Smiling wider than he ever had before in his life, Adam slipped into his room and leaned against the door. He felt dazed. What had that meant? Did she possibly have feelings for him to match his own for her? Did she love him? She hadn't made a move to suggest her feelings were any more than friendly, but Adam was no expert on the ways of human women. He sighed happily. Whether or not she had any romantic feelings for him yet, a friendship was a good place to start.

Feeling elated, Adam got ready for bed, grunting quietly as he sat on the edge of his bed, taking pressure off his screaming feet. Slipping between the covers, he tried to think of a time when he had ever felt happier. Just before he drifted into sleep, he realized that there were none that even compared.

…

The days passed in a happy blur for the young merman prince. He woke up every morning and enjoyed a pleasant breakfast in the dining hall with Erica before the princess asked him if he wanted to do this or that, to which he would always nod. Under her instruction, he continued to learn how to ride horses, and he grew rather fond of the Paint, which Erica informed him was named Gypsy. Whenever he failed to do something correctly, the princess would call out, "It's okay, don't stress over it, just try again," and she once comforted him with, "Don't be upset if you don't get it immediately. It takes years to perfect horsemanship skills, and even then, no one is perfect all the time. You're doing very well for someone who's never ridden before." Adam always glowed under her praise and would bow to her in thanks, a gesture that always made Erica giggle and say, "You're welcome, Adam."

When she wasn't teaching him how to ride, the pair of them could often be found sitting on the beach, either enjoying a picnic or simply gazing out at the beautiful sea. Adam would sometimes feel a twinge of homesickness, but he always shoved these feelings aside. He had made his choice, and he wasn't going back. Even if he could, he wouldn't trade his newfound joy for anything on earth.

Every once in a while, they would go for swims in the sea. Adam proved to be an excellent swimmer, even without his fins. "It's amazing," Erica once said. "You would almost think you lived in the ocean from how well you can swim."

The remark made Adam laugh silently. If only she knew…

Throughout his stay at Erica's palace, Adam became aware of one simple fact: before he'd become human, he hadn't truly been in love with the beautiful princess. He had been obsessed with her and intrigued by her, but not really in love. Now, however, after spending so much time with her, he could say without a shadow of a doubt that Erica was the only woman in the world he would ever want to spend his life with. She filled his thoughts during the day and occupied his dreams at night, and just the sight of her smiling at him was enough to make him feel as though he could walk on air.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one vying for the princess' affections. Prince Charles became a frequent visitor to the palace, and though Erica would often roll her eyes and invent excuses not to see him, Adam couldn't help but be jealous of the other prince. The simple fact remained that Erica hadn't yet professed that she loved the merman, and after her show of affection following the ball, she hadn't showed a single sign of yearning for him, not even as a friend. As if this wasn't troubling enough, as time wore on, she began to show signs of acceptance toward Prince Charles, and soon she was allowing him to spend time with her. Granted, they were never alone together; she insisted that Adam be with her whenever Charles was around, "just to make sure he doesn't try anything," as she told a bewildered and slightly exasperated Marcus. Adam agreed to accompany the princess whenever her suitor called, but he was dismayed to find that as the days passed she became warmer and warmer toward his rival. The merman began to fear that the other prince might soon propose. Would Erica accept? The very thought filled Adam with a terrible dread, a feeling far more terrible than the pain in his feet. If his beloved took another man to be her husband, he knew, his heart would break and he would die.

One afternoon, about a month after he had joined the human world, Adam went out for a swim in the sea by himself. Erica was with Charles inside the palace, and for the first time, she had requested that she and the prince be left alone, a fact that had stung the merman and made him think that his heart might just be breaking already. Hoping to soothe both the pain in his feet and the ache in his heart, he decided to seek refuge in the sea. He swam out to the rock that jutted out of the water, the same rock he'd once hidden behind after rescuing Erica from the ocean what felt like half a lifetime ago. Panting slightly from his exertions, he hoisted himself up onto a stone ledge and gazed absently out at the open sea. The sunlight reflected off the clear blue waves, making the water shimmer seductively. It was a truly beautiful sight.

A flurry of motion made Adam look down at the water lapping at the base of the rock. For a moment, he saw nothing out of the ordinary, and he assumed his eyes must have just been playing tricks on him. Then he saw it again, and he took a closer look. He gasped and mouthed, "Star!"

The little seahorse was flitting around under the surface, looking up at his friend with an imploring expression on his face. Adam dove into the ocean excitedly and grinned at Star, who said, "Hi, Adam. How have you been?"

Adam shrugged and nodded, as if to say, "Not bad."

"That's right, you can't speak," the seahorse said to himself. "I'd forgotten. Well, I'm glad you've been okay."

Adam held out his hand, inviting Star to wrap his tail around his forefinger. The seahorse smiled and did just that, a gesture that made Adam's heart contract a little. "I've missed you," he mouthed.

"I've missed you too, Adam," Star replied. "But I don't have much time. I have to tell you something. It's urgent."

Adam's smile faded and his face took on a concerned expression.

"It's Calypso, the Sea Witch," Star said quickly. "Over the past month, she's been trying to seize control of all the oceans. She's gaining more and more power by the day!"

Adam's jaw dropped.

"A few days ago, she attacked your dad's palace. Don't worry, everyone's okay," the seahorse added quickly, correctly reading the look of terror on his friend's face. "She didn't manage to get far; your father sent her packing with that trident of his. But Adam, I don't know if we'll be so lucky next time. Calypso is a clever witch; she's sure to find a way to get to your father…"

Adam held up his hand, indicating that he needed to take a breath. Star nodded, and Adam propelled himself to the surface, inhaling deeply. Taking a few deep breaths, he submerged himself again and faced the little seahorse.

"Adam, you have to help us!" Star squeaked. "Your father…he hasn't been himself since you left. He had search parties all over the sea looking for you, and when they came back empty-handed, he was heartbroken. He's been a wreck of his former self. Your brother Azure has been doing most of his duties in his place because he's just been unable to handle ruling the kingdom. It was only by a sheer miracle that he managed to send Calypso away, and I don't know if he'll be able to do it again!" The little seahorse swam a little closer to his friend. "Please, Adam, you have to come back! If you do, then your father will return to his old self, and he'll be able to protect us from the Sea Witch when she attacks again."

Adam shook his head sadly. "I can't go back," he mouthed, gesturing down at his feet.

"Then at least let me tell the king where you are!" Star said desperately. "Just knowing you're okay might be enough to help!"

Adam hesitated. If Poseidon found out where his son was, what would stop him from coming to the surface? Would he seek him out and force him to return? Would he perhaps use the trident's magic to turn him back into a merman?

"No!" Adam mouthed, shaking his head vigorously at the thought of being taken away from this world above.

Star stared at him. "You…you wouldn't even help your own father by letting him know you're alive?" he asked.

Adam didn't know how to answer, and he desperately needed to breathe. He rose again to the surface and took another deep breath before diving once more.

Star was gone.

"Star?" Adam mouthed, looking frantically around. The little seahorse was nowhere to be seen. He had swum away while the merman was breathing.

With a heavy heart, Adam returned to the surface and climbed back on the rock, putting his head in his hands. How was this happening? Everything was suddenly falling apart all around him. His father was in a downward spiral of depression. The Sea Witch was trying to take control of the sea. The woman he loved might be falling for another man. And now the best friend he'd ever had thought he didn't care about his family. How could everything go so wrong so quickly…?

"Adam? Hey, Adam!"

He looked up to see Erica on the beach, waving to him with a broad smile on her face. Feeling his heart lift a little at the sight of her, he waved back and dove into the water, swimming back toward shore. He rose out of the water, dripping wet and ignoring the stabbing pains in his feet, something he had become very adept at doing over the past month. He smiled and nodded his head to the princess, who smiled sweetly and said, "You're always so happy to see me, Adam."

Feeling a little bold and reckless from everything that had happened, Adam wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. She laughed. "Adam, you're soaked!" she cried, playfully pushing him back.

Adam grinned and relinquished her, relieved to hear her laughing rather than yelling.

"Why don't you head back up to the palace and dry off?" Erica said, still giggling. "Once you're presentable, I would like to talk to you, all right?"

Adam blinked once, and then he nodded, heading back up to the castle, mind buzzing. She wanted to talk to him. Why? What was this about? Could she perhaps be engaged to Charles? He shuddered at the very thought. Maybe it wasn't as bad as that. Maybe…could he dare imagine? …maybe she wanted to confess her love for him? Was he about to be told that she loved him and wanted to marry him? His heart couldn't help but lift as he imagined Erica finally telling him that she had realized that he meant more to her than anything and that nothing would make her happier than spending the rest of her life with him. If, of course, he felt the same for her.

He smiled wryly and quickened his pace.

A short while later, he met Erica in the corridor. She was standing at a window that overlooked the sea, gazing out at the endless expanse of blue. She turned to look at him as he approached and smiled. "All dry now?" she asked teasingly.

Adam nodded, grinning.

"Good," the princess said, and she turned back to the window. She was silent for a moment, and Adam patiently waited, his heart performing a rapid drum-roll behind his ribs. Finally, Erica said, "I've been thinking hard about this for a while, Adam. Prince Charles has been courting me rather aggressively over the past month, as you've no doubt noticed."

Adam nodded, his heart clenching painfully.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure of how I feel about that," the princess continued. "He's nice, I suppose, but I don't really feel any kind of, you know…romantic interest for him."

Adam's heart lifted hopefully, but he didn't move.

"In fact, I think there's only one man I could ever love," Erica went on. "You see, a little over a month ago, I was in a shipwreck, and I would have certainly drowned. But there was a man, and he saved me and sang to me on the beach. I was unconscious, and by the time I woke up, he had gone, but I distinctly heard his voice. It was…the single most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life, and…I want to meet him. I want to thank him for saving my life. After that, well, we'll see. Perhaps I would pursue him as a potential husband. But first, I have to find him…."

Adam continued to listen, his heart sinking again.

"I've finally decided on a way to draw him out," Erica said. "Tomorrow, we will host a singing contest here in the palace. Every prince in the land will be here, and they will all sing to me the same melody I remember hearing on the beach. I will know the right voice when I hear it, and if he shows up tomorrow, I will personally be able to thank him. We'll just see where it goes from there, I suppose."

Adam's heart nearly went still, and his brain was suddenly overburdened with thoughts. Of course, her savior would not show up at the contest tomorrow. The man that had saved her life no longer had a voice to sing with. But what if she fell in love with someone else? What if she mistook someone else's voice for his own and declared her love for him? And did this mean that she didn't love him after all? Not in the least?

He took a deep breath and tried to smile. Erica turned to him and took his hand. "No matter what happens tomorrow, I want you to be happy for me, my dear friend. I…can tell from the way you look at him that you don't approve of Charles, but I hope you will be able to approve of whoever I choose tomorrow. Assuming he shows up, of course."

Adam could do nothing except nod his head.

Erica hugged him gratefully. "Thank you, Adam," she whispered in his ear. "That means a lot."

She drew back and walked away. Adam watched her go and didn't move for a long time, staying in the same spot even after she had vanished around the corner.

That night, he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned and threw the covers off his sweaty body, but nothing he did seemed to help. His mind was far too active to allow rest. His fate was suddenly uncertain, and Erica's choice tomorrow would decide whether he died or lived for a little while longer. Either way, unless he could somehow win her love, he would die. Perhaps not tomorrow, but the moment she took another husband, his life would wind down.

He sighed and sat up, gazing up at the silver moon in the sky outside his window. Tomorrow he would know for certain. One way or another.

If only there was a way to show her what she meant to him…a way to reveal his heart and soul to her…a way to speak to her without his voice…


	3. Part 3

Part 3

**A/N: The third and final part of my "Little Mermaid" retelling. I hope you've enjoyed it so far and will enjoy the conclusion! **

The contest was held in the palace's ballroom. Andersen the musician was at the piano, and all the princes – ten total – were lined up along the wall, backs rigid and straight, hands clasped behind their backs. Marcus stood near the piano with an excited expression on his face, and Princess Erica faced the contestants. Adam, unseen by any, was standing outside the ballroom, peering in through the open door.

"Okay, I will ask each of you to sing a certain melody," Erica was saying. "Andersen will play it for you momentarily. When I give you your cue, you will repeat the same melody in your natural singing voice. I will know the right one when I hear it. All right, Andersen, if you would…"

Andersen nodded and began to play a perfect replication of the song Adam had sung to the princess on the beach. Hearing the notes made the merman's heart clench painfully. He longed to rush out there and tell Erica that it had been him that had saved her and sang to her…that he loved her more than life itself and had been willing to give up his entire life for her, not to mention his voice…that he would die if she couldn't love him in return…

Then Andersen finished, and Erica turned to the first prince in line. "Very well. Would you sing for me, please?"

The prince nodded and opened his mouth, a warbling bass voice rolling off his tongue. He'd only gotten a few notes out before Erica shook her head. "Sorry, that's not it." Then she turned to the second prince. "Now you."

The second prince began to sing in a pleasant baritone, but again, Erica shook her head. "I'm sorry, no."

The third, fourth, and fifth princes were all similarly dismissed, and Adam's heart lifted a little each time Erica shook her head and moved on to the next man.

The sixth prince was Charles. Erica raised her eyebrows in surprise but said, "Very well, you next."

When Charles began to sing, Adam's heart plummeted. His rival's voice was very close to what his own had once sounded like, and Erica had obviously noticed the similarity. She frowned in concentration, listening hard, and when he finished, she didn't immediately respond. "I…I don't know," she murmured after a moment. "It could be…I'm not sure…"

She hesitated for another moment, observing the hopeful prince. Then she said, "I'll come back to you," and moved on to the seventh contestant.

Numbers seven, eight, nine, and ten were all unsatisfactory to Erica, who shook her head when each of them sang the song. The nine princes hung their heads in disappointment as the princess returned her gaze to Charles. "Would you sing again for me?" she asked.

Charles complied, copying the melody almost perfectly in a lovely tenor voice that even impressed Adam, much to the merman's displeasure. Erica gazed up at him for a long moment when he was done. The room was so quiet that the servants could be heard working in an upstairs room with vivid clarity. Marcus stepped forward and said, "What do you think, Your Highness?"

"I…" Erica hesitated. "I thought I'd be so sure when I heard it. But…I just don't know. If it's not the voice, it's very, very close…"

"Perhaps your mystery man isn't here," Marcus suggested. "Or perhaps he isn't of royal blood and thus didn't receive an invitation."

"Maybe," Erica conceded. "Or perhaps…perhaps this is the voice after all…"

It was this last remark that pushed Adam into action, even though he wasn't consciously aware of doing anything. The next thing he knew, he was standing in the center of the ballroom, the eyes of ten princes watching him curiously, Charles with a slight distaste.

"Adam?" Marcus said, surprised. "My dear lad, you shouldn't be here right now, we are busy with—"

"Wait a moment, Marcus," Erica said sharply. "Let him stay." She turned to the young merman. "What is it, Adam?"

Adam hesitated, feeling the heat creep into his face. One of the princes sniggered and whispered to the one next to him, who also covered his mouth in an attempt to hide his laughter. Erica ignored them. "Is everything okay, Adam?" she asked, sounding concerned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Adam looked over toward the piano and suddenly got an idea. He motioned for Andersen to play, and looking bemused, the musician began playing the song again. As the notes filled the air, Adam held out his hand, and after a confused hesitation, Erica took it. The prince placed his other hand on her hip, and then they were dancing, moving in a small circle on the dance floor, their bodies so close they were touching, the princess' hair whipping about behind her as they spun elegantly around. As they danced, Adam's heart hammered painfully hard, so hard that it overrode the pain in his feet. If this didn't work, if this didn't make her see…then nothing in the world would.

Andersen stopped playing as the song ended, and Adam stopped dancing, though he didn't let go of Erica's hand. The princess was looking up at her friend with an odd, unreadable expression on her face. Her eyes were sparkling, though, and slowly, Adam reached up and brushed her cheek with his hand. "I love you," he mouthed.

There was a long silence, which was suddenly interrupted by Marcus' footsteps. "Your Highness?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Marcus," Erica breathed, "I…I have been incredibly blind."

"I beg your pardon?" her advisor said.

"I've been thinking so much about the mystery voice that…that I forgot to open my eyes to what was right in front of me." She reached up and touched Adam's cheek with her fingers, and his skin tingled pleasantly. "Forget the voice. I have made my decision."

Adam's heart leapt at her words, and a smile crossed his face, a smile that was mirrored on Erica's. "I love you, Adam. I don't know how I didn't see it before, but…but I do. I choose you."

Adam laughed silently and lifted the princess into the air, spinning her around. Erica giggled and, when her feet found the floor again, she reached her hands up into the merman's hair. Slowly, Adam leaned in close, and their lips finally met in a passionate kiss that lasted for quite some time. In fact, it could have lasted for years, and neither Adam nor Erica would have known. Time seemed to stand still in that one blissful moment as every fear and worry that had been in the young prince's mind faded away and vanished.

When they finally broke apart, Erica was momentarily unable to speak. She smiled and laughed weakly. "Oh Adam…" she sighed. "Oh…my dear Adam…"

Adam beamed and stroked her cheek tenderly. "I love you, Erica," he mouthed. "I love you so much."

Erica opened her mouth to respond, but she froze. A new sound had suddenly permeated the room, growing louder and louder with each second. It was a voice, a male's tenor, singing…

"That's it!" Erica cried. "That's the voice! The one that I heard on the beach!"

Adam's heart froze in mid-beat. It was indeed his own voice, singing the exact same song Andersen had been playing moments before. The same tune he, Adam, had sung to Erica after he saved her. But it wasn't coming from his throat; he was still totally mute. So where was it coming from? And more importantly, what was it doing here?

"Who is that?" Erica asked, looking wildly around. "Who's singing?"

Adam gestured desperately, suddenly in fear of losing the woman he thought he'd finally won over. He pointed to himself and mouthed, "It's my voice! My voice!"

Erica frowned. "What? It's…your…?"

The princes lined along the wall suddenly screamed and yelled in fear, their eyes turned to the gigantic picture window. Adam and Erica turned to see what was causing their alarm and they both gasped. A huge wall of water was speeding from the beach, heading right toward the palace with a velocity none of them would have imagined possible. Before any of them could react, it collided with the window, which shattered on impact, allowing the water to flood the ballroom. The princes all yelled and scrambled for the exit, but Adam, Erica, and Marcus were all caught in the wave and knocked off their feet. Erica was yanked from Adam's grip as they tumbled, and when the water settled, the merman prince stood up, spluttering. The singing had stopped, replaced by an awful cackling, one that he had heard once before in his life and made his blood run cold.

The Sea Witch was standing in the room, a few feet away from the shattered window, her tentacles writhing on the floor and the magic shell clasped in her hands.

"Sorry to crash your party, my dear prince," she said with a sinister smile. "But there has been a slight change in plans."

As she spoke, two of her tentacles shot out and, before Adam could do anything to defend himself, they wrapped themselves around him, binding his arms to his sides.

"I need you, dear prince," Calypso said with a faint chuckle. "Your dear father is proving tougher than I anticipated to defeat. So I'm taking up a new tactic: I'm going to use you as leverage. Perhaps with your life on the line, your daddy will be more willing to cooperate…"

"Calypso!"

The Witch and Adam both looked around at the shout to see a small swell of water enter the room, ridden by a towering merman with wavy brown-and-gray hair and clutching a silver trident that was glowing faintly.

"Ah, Poseidon!" Calypso said with a cackle. "Well, well, speak of the devil and he shall appear! How are you doing, O Great Sea King?"

Poseidon didn't answer. His eyes were focused on his son, still wrapped in the Sea Witch's tentacles. Noticing, Calypso laughed and said, "Oh look, isn't Daddy proud? His little boy is finally standing on his own two feet!"

"Dad!" Adam mouthed.

Poseidon blinked and then his face contorted in rage. "What have you done to my son?!" he roared.

"Not a thing!" Calypso replied, eyebrows raised as though she was surprised he would think such a thing. "He's done it all to himself." She turned a disdainful eye on the prince in her clutches. "The little fool, trading his voice away, and for what? A lifetime of human heartbreak!"

Adam wriggled and writhed, trying in vain to escape.

"Wh-what?" Erica had risen to her feet and was watching the exchange in stunned confusion.

The Sea Witch cackled. "Ah yes, you never knew, did you dear princess? You see, Prince Adam here loved you so much that he traded his voice to me so that he could get a pair of pathetic little legs and join you." She laughed again. "What a foolish child! Threw away everything he had just for the chance to win your affections!"

Erica looked at Adam, who gazed sadly back at her. "Adam…?" she breathed, and the prince bowed his head sadly.

"Give Adam back to me!" Poseidon thundered.

Calypso sniggered. "Give him back? Oh no, I don't think so. You know perfectly well that I don't just give things away, Poseidon. If you want your precious son back, you will have to pay a price."

Poseidon blinked. "What do you have in mind?" he asked warily.

The Witch laughed. "You know perfectly well what I want from you! Your crown, your trident, and your throne! Give your power as king to me, and I'll return your son to you, completely unharmed. Fail to do so…" She conjured a knife and held it to Adam's throat with another of her tentacles. "…and you will watch your son die!"

"No!" Poseidon cried, and Adam had never seen his father look so terrified. He took off his crown and tossed it to the floor, followed closely by his trident. "It's yours. It's all yours."

Calypso chuckled darkly, releasing Adam, who collapsed in a heap. As the Sea Witch lifted the trident and crown up, the stationary swell of water that had been supporting Poseidon fell, and the king hit the floor with a wet thud. "Dad!" Adam tried to cry, scrambling to his feet and running over to where the merman lay, helpless.

"Adam…" Poseidon moaned, reaching up to lay his hand on the prince's shoulder. "Oh Adam…my son…you're alive!"

Adam nodded, glancing back over his shoulder as Calypso placed the crown on her head and lifted the trident triumphantly. "At last!" she screamed. "It's all mine! All the seas are mine to rule! I am the Queen of the Sea, and you will all bow to my power!"

She pointed the trident at the ceiling, and a beam of light shot from the three prongs, crashing through the roof and sending bits of stone clattering to the floor. Erica and Marcus raised their hands to protect their heads, cowering against the far wall of the ballroom.

Then Adam noticed something. The Witch was holding the trident with her hands, which had been clasping her magic shell moments before. The shell was now in one of her tentacles, which was lying on the floor. Calypso was far too occupied with her newfound power to take notice of the human, so Adam seized his chance, darting forward toward the horrid creature. She looked down at him, and her eyes widened in surprise, but before she could react, Adam had seized the shell and yanked it out of her tentacle's grip. She shrieked in rage and lashed out, but the merman prince had already sprinted out of her range.

It took a moment for them all to notice it, it happened so suddenly. The moment Adam's hands touched the shell, his voice began to flow from the conch's opening, singing a beautiful melody that echoed around the spacious room. As he ran out of the Witch's reach, the mouth of the shell began to glow a bright scarlet color, and a golden orb of light emerged from it, drifting through the air toward the prince. His heart hammering, he opened his lips to accept it, and the orb slipped down his throat. The next second, the song was coming from Adam himself, rolling off his tongue like it had the day he saved Erica from the sea.

"My voice!" he gasped, one hand to his throat, a small smile forming on his face. "It's back!"

"Congratulations," Calypso snarled, leveling the trident at him. "Now GIVE ME BACK MY SHELL!"

Adam raised it above his head. "One wrong move and I'll smash it!" he yelled.

Calypso laughed. "And why should I concern myself with what you plan on doing, dear prince?" she sneered. But Adam noticed the flash of fear in her eyes. She didn't want the shell broken.

"Be careful, Adam!" Poseidon called, still lying prone on the floor. "You hold a terrible, lethal power in your hands!"

Calypso laughed harshly, a sound void of all humor, and glanced back at the fallen king. "Power?! I'll show you power!" She turned back to Adam. "You selfish little brat, I gave you everything you ever wanted, and I can take it away just as easily!"

A jet of green light shot from the prongs of the trident and struck Adam in the chest. Immediately, his legs sprang together and melded. Next moment, he toppled over with a cry of shock. His legs were gone, replaced by a fish tail covered in green scales and ending in a pair of fins. He was a merman again.

When he fell, the shell slipped from his grasp, and it hit the floor beside him with a clatter. For a moment, he was too intent on staring in horror at his tail to notice anything out of the ordinary, but after a second, he realized the room had gone completely quiet. Looking up, he saw that everyone was staring at Calypso, who was gazing down in surprise and fear at her chest. A thin spider web of cracks had appeared in her skin, crisscrossing her ugly gray flesh. Blinking in confusion, Adam turned his gaze to the magic shell, and to his surprise, he saw an identical pattern of cracks in the spot where it had hit the floor.

There was a beat of absolute silence as Adam put the pieces together, and then both he and the Witch moved at the same time. He lunged for the shell, and in the same instant, Calypso raised the trident. In response to her command, another wave rushed into the room, sweeping the shell out of Adam's reach and completely submerging the merman. He surfaced and looked wildly around for his quarry. He saw it at the other end of the room, but as he struck out for it, he realized that the water that had just entered the ballroom was suddenly leaving it, and it was dragging him out with it. "No!" he cried, flashing his fins in a desperate attempt to fight the lethal current. If it pulled him back out to sea, the battle would be over. But no matter how hard he fought, he gained no ground, and the water continued to drag him closer and closer to the open window and the waiting Sea Witch.

"Adam!"

The prince looked around and saw an extended hand, and he grabbed it without a second thought. Erica and Marcus had climbed atop the piano to keep themselves out of the sea's clutches. "I've got you!" the princess gasped. "I won't let go!"

Adam looked around and felt his heart bound. The magic shell was floating past him. Another second or two, and it would be out of his reach, and the Witch would have complete control once more. He threw his free hand out and seized it, just managing to clutch the rim of the opening with wet, slippery fingers. He pulled it toward him as Calypso screeched in rage and terror. He raised it above his head…

"Wait!" the Witch shrieked, and at once everything went still. The water came to a standstill, as if time had somehow come to a stop. Adam hesitated in spite of himself, slowly lowering the shell, looking warily over at Calypso. She had lowered the trident to her side and held out one hand toward him. "Give it back to me, my prince," she said, and her voice had taken on a desperate, pleading note. "Give it back, and I'll reverse the spell. I will turn you into a human once more. I will give you back everything you've wanted. You can live with your princess, marry her and live happily ever after. You know I can make it happen. Just give me back my shell, and your legs will return, I promise. Just give me back my shell."

Adam felt Erica's hand tighten over his but didn't look at her. He considered Calypso's words for a few seconds. The image she presented filled his head, and his heart filled with longing. It was possible. It was all within his grasp at last. For a moment, maybe half a second, the fingers clutching the shell twitched, and he considered handing it back over to its owner. But then he saw his father lying prone on the floor behind the Witch, and he pushed these thoughts aside. He knew what he had to do.

"Not on your life," he said, and he raised the shell once more. Calypso shrieked and leveled the trident at him, this time with intent to kill.

Using all the strength he could, Adam slammed the shell against the tile floor of the ballroom, and it shattered.

The Witch screamed in utter agony, throwing her hands into the air, her eyes wide. The cracks that had appeared in her chest suddenly spread rapidly across her entire body, covering her in a series of fractures. A second later, she exploded in a shower of flesh and bits of tentacle, her body spewing across the room, the trident and crown falling to the floor with a series of clatters and thuds. Then, as they all watched, the pieces of Calypso dissolved where they lay, leaving behind flecks and spots of sea foam, which were quickly swept back out to sea by the outgoing wave. Absolute silence followed for several moments as everyone gazed in blank shock and relief around the room. The Sea Witch was gone.

Erica released Adam's hand and climbed down from the piano. "Are you all right, Adam?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the merman replied.

Erica chuckled weakly. "So it was your voice the whole time? You were the one who saved me that night?"

Adam nodded, smiling a little. "I…I wanted to tell you, Erica, I swear I did. But…" His smile faded as he looked back at his fins. "How do you tell the woman you love that you're not even human?"

Erica couldn't think of an answer, and she was spared the necessity of one by another wave of water, much smaller than the others. Atop it was Poseidon, his crown back in place on his head and trident back in hand. He was beaming as he approached them.

"Dad," Adam murmured, turning to face the king, his fins still flapping uselessly on the floor. "Oh Dad, I'm so sorry, I never meant to cause you so much trouble!"

But Poseidon shook his head. "Oh my son, I've never been prouder of you! You destroyed the Sea Witch. You've restored peace and order to the seafloor." He reached out and lifted the young prince into a warm embrace. "My dear son, I thought I'd lost your forever! It gives me such great joy to see your face, to hear your voice, after so long away…"

The king was momentarily overcome and couldn't continue. Adam hugged his father in return. "I'm so sorry, Dad," he murmured. "I'm so very sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"It's all right, my son," Poseidon sighed, drawing back. "Everything is as it should be. You can now return to the seafloor with me, and everything will go back to normal."

Adam's smile flickered, and he turned to look back at Erica, who was watching the exchange with a slightly bemused expression on her face. Adam's heart contracted. After all his efforts, it had come to this. He would never be able to be with her. "Oh Erica," he sighed, reaching out and taking her hand. "I'm sorry, Erica. I wish I could stay with you. I love you very much, more than anything."

"Oh Adam…" Erica sighed, touching his cheek with her hand. "I love you too. I will miss you a great deal."

Adam looked around and saw a small shell that had been washed into the room by Calypso's wave. He took it in his hand and gave it to the princess. "I know it's not much," he said. "But whenever you hold this shell or look at it, remember me, and remember what I gave up to be with you."

Erica took the shell and pressed it to her chest. "I will," she murmured, tears brimming in her eyes. Adam nodded and turned away. "Wait!" she gasped, and he paused, looking back at her. She reached up and lifted a golden chain from her neck, handing it out to him. "I want you to have this."

Adam stared at it. "Your father's locket?" he said, stunned.

"It's yours now," Erica replied. "Take it, and remember me. Remember that I love you, Adam, and I always will."

Adam took the locket and put it around his neck. Then he leaned forward and kissed her passionately and sadly, feeling as though his heart was tearing in two. When they broke apart, he saw that tears were rolling down Erica's face. "I love you," he murmured, touching her cheek one last time. Then he turned and swam away, joining Poseidon just outside the shattered window.

"You saved my son's life," the king said to the princess, and his voice was filled with a mixture of emotions: surprise, gratitude, and confusion. This went against everything he'd ever known about humans. "For that I cannot thank you enough."

Erica bowed. "I would do it again without a second thought, Your Majesty," she said quietly.

The Sea King considered her for a moment and then nodded. "If you would like, I'll repair all this for you," he offered. "I apologize for everything we've put you through."

The princess inclined her head. "Thank you."

Poseidon nodded and raised his trident. An instant later, the hole in the roof was sealed and the glass window was repaired, separating the people inside from the mermen outside. Adam put his hand on the new glass and sighed sadly. Then he turned and sank below the surface as Poseidon returned the water level to its original depth, leaving no trace of the battle behind.

As they swam back toward the underwater palace, Poseidon said, "We must have a ball tonight, both to celebrate your safe return and your defeat of the Sea Witch."

Adam merely nodded and didn't say anything.

"Hey, Adam!"

The prince looked around and cried, "Star!"

The little seahorse swam up to his friend and said, "You have your voice back!"

"Yep," the merman said. "My voice, my tail…everything's back to normal."

There was a note of bitterness in his voice that none of them could miss. There was an awkward pause.

"I, uh…I owe you an apology," Star said at length as they continued toward the kingdom. "I know you didn't want your father to know, but the situation was dire, so…I told him where you were." He looked down, apparently afraid the prince would be angry.

Adam nodded and said, "I know. You did the right thing, my friend. I'm not mad."

The seahorse smiled. "Really?" he asked hopefully.

Adam held out his forefinger. "Really."

Star happily wrapped his tail around his friend's finger and stayed like that for the rest of the journey home.

…

"I present to you, my youngest son, Prince Adam!" King Poseidon called to the silent merpeople congregated in the ballroom that night. "He has defeated Calypso the Sea Witch, and thanks to him, we will never have to fear her dark magic again!"

Adam, dressed in complete royal attire, swam out of the shadows and came to a stop in front of his father. The merpeople in the room broke out in joyous applause, which the prince acknowledged with a small nod. Poseidon held up a long, thin purple strip of cloth and said, "My son, in honor of your triumph, I proudly present you with this royal sash." He reached out and placed it over Adam's shoulders so that the cloth was pressed softly against his throat and trailed out on either side behind him. "It is our highest honor. Wear it with pride."

Adam bowed to his father, and as he did, a golden locket dangled off his chest. The sight of the human artifact made many of the merpeople gasp in shock and alarm, but Adam ignored them all, straightening and catching his father's eye. He seemed surprised to see the locket there, but his face was relaxed. He seemed to have accepted the fact his son's obsession with the human world was never going away, and he'd rather allow his son to indulge in his whims than push him away again.

"And now, let us celebrate!" Poseidon called. "For my son has finally returned to us! Come, let us sing and dance and have a great time!"

The mermaid choir began to sing, and couples moved onto the dance floor. Adam, however, swam over to his throne at the far end of the room and sat down, one hand up at the locket on his chest. He gazed absently at all the dancers but didn't really see them. Instead, he was envisioning the castle on the beach, the beautiful ballroom with its picture window and grand piano, the beautiful princess dancing happily to the tune of a lovely melody…

"Hello? Your Highness? Prince Adam?"

"Huh?" Adam started and looked around at the blonde mermaid floating right in front of him. "Oh! I'm sorry, I was…um…lost in my thoughts."

"It's quite all right," the mermaid replied, smiling sweetly. "My name is Theodora. Would you like to dance, Your Highness?"

Adam hesitated for a brief instant before he nodded, rising and following Theodora to the dance floor. Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand in his and placed his other hand at her waist.

"What are you doing?!" the mermaid gasped, drawing back in shock.

"Oh!" Adam suddenly realized his mistake. "I…I'm sorry. I've grown accustomed to dancing like…like a human."

"Well, we aren't humans. We are merpeople," Theodora pointed out.

Adam couldn't think of a reply, and his heart contracted painfully at her words. "Would you excuse me, please?" he murmured, and without waiting for an answer, he swam away though an open archway and out into the sea outside the palace. He didn't stop swimming until a large rock on the ocean floor came into view, and he sat down on it, his heart pounding painfully hard beneath his ribs.

"Adam?"

The merman looked around to see Star swimming towards him, looking concerned. "Oh. Hi, Star," he said quietly.

The little seahorse drew level with his friend and asked, "Are you feeling all right, Adam?"

Adam didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached up and opened the locket, looking down at Erica's picture. At length, he said, "Star, do you remember what Calypso said, when I traded my voice for my legs?"

"Which part?" Star asked.

"The part about each step I take causing me great pain," Adam replied. "Like I was walking on sharp glass."

Star nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"It was a massive understatement," Adam said. "Walking was utter agony. It felt as though my feet were being stabbed on all sides by a thousand swords without stopping. It was the kind of pain that you can never really get used to."

"Oh," Star sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, Adam."

But Adam shook his head. "Star, I would gladly suffer that pain all over again if I could just see Erica one more time." He looked up, and the seahorse was startled to see tears brimming in his friend's eyes. "If I was given the chance to go back and do it all again, I wouldn't change a thing. It might have been painful, but that month on land was the best month of my life."

Star didn't know how to reply.

Meanwhile, Poseidon and Azure watched from a short distance away. They were unable to hear the young prince's words, but they could tell by his posture and expression that he was suffering. They exchanged worried looks but didn't say anything. Nor did they get any closer.

Suddenly, Adam closed the locket and rose from the rock. "Star, if my father asks where I've gone," he said, "tell him the truth: I've gone to the surface."

"What?!" squeaked the little seahorse, but Adam was already swimming upward and did not answer. Exchanging bewildered looks, Poseidon and Azure followed at a distance.

Minutes later, Adam's head broke the surface of the water, the fresh night air cool on his face. He swam over to the rock that jutted from the sea and climbed atop it, his gaze turned toward the castle on the shore. "Oh Erica," he moaned sadly, his hand going up to clutch the locket again.

Poseidon and Azure surfaced and saw Adam sitting on the rock, but he didn't notice them. He was too intent on watching the castle. Suddenly, he stiffened and gasped. He had seen movement on the beach and was straining his eyes to see who it was. He recognized the long, flowing hair.

"Erica!" he breathed.

He waved frantically to her, and seeing him, she waved back. She couldn't see him clearly in the darkness, but she knew of only one merman who would come up to see her and knew that the prince had returned. "Oh Adam…" she sighed sadly. "My dear Adam…"

She blew a kiss to him, and the merman moaned quietly, longing more than ever to return to shore, to shed his fish tail and regain his legs. But all he could do was sit there and watch as the woman he loved slowly returned to the palace. Even after she had gone, he stayed there, silently observing the castle he had once called home. Behind him, Azure motioned toward the king to descend, and they left the young prince to his silent yearnings.

It was nearing midnight when Adam finally slipped down from his rock and returned to the sea, swimming silently back to the palace. He entered his room through the window and shed the honorary sash and other bits of the royal attire, tossing them carelessly aside. He did not, however, remove the locket from around his neck before he settled down on his bed, lying on his side, his back to the door, eyes still open, staring blankly at nothing.

He heard the movement of the seaweed curtain that signaled someone's arrival. "Adam?" Poseidon asked softly. "Are you awake?"

The merman prince had no desire to speak with his father at that moment and did not reply, regulating his breathing so that the rising and falling of his torso took on a sleepy appearance. Poseidon hesitated for a moment longer before leaving the room, and Adam sighed sadly, looking out the window at the dark sea beyond.

He didn't remember falling asleep, but the next thing he knew, it was morning, the sunlight brightening his room in a way that contrasted greatly with his dismal mood. He blinked and looked down at his fins, and his heart sank as he realized that it hadn't just been a bad dream. He was a merman again, forever separated from the world and woman he loved so much. Sighing, he sat up and swam out of the palace through his window, Erica's locket still hanging around his neck.

Minutes later, Poseidon checked to see if his son was awake and was surprised to find the prince's bedroom deserted. He frowned. This behavior wasn't at all normal for Adam. What had gotten into him?

The Sea King, accompanied by his eldest son, found Adam sitting alone on a rock a short distance from the palace. His gaze was turned upward and his expression was downcast. "I don't understand," Poseidon murmured to Azure. "I mean, I'd expect him to miss being a human, but I didn't expect this."

"Hmm," Azure replied. "Let me talk to him, okay Dad?"

Poseidon nodded, and the young merman swam up to his younger brother. "Hey there, Adam," he said, taking a seat beside him.

Adam looked up and smiled slightly. "Hi, Azure," he said quietly.

"You all right, little bro?" Azure asked, elbowing the younger merman playfully.

Adam shrugged. "I don't know. Not really."

Azure's grin faded. "You really miss it, don't you?" he said sympathetically. "The world above."

Adam looked over at him. "It's not just that," he replied. "I miss Erica."

Azure blinked. "You mean, the human princess?"

Adam nodded. "I love her, Azure. With everything that I am, I love her. I would give anything just to be with her again. I…I feel so empty now, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to feel whole again."

Azure stared at the younger prince for a long moment, surprised. Then he took a deep breath and said conversationally, "You know, Ariel turned down my first marriage proposal, several years back."

Adam looked up in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes," Azure said, nodding. "She said that she loved me, but she just wasn't ready for marriage yet. It broke my heart. I thought my life was over. I couldn't possibly be happy if Ariel wasn't there with me."

"But…what happened?" Adam asked.

Azure grinned. "I waited, and after a few months I asked again. I told her that she was the most precious creature in my life and that I'd give up everything for her. This time, she was ready, and she accepted."

Adam didn't say anything.

"You see, Adam," Azure said, laying a hand on his brother's shoulder, "these things that we think will destroy us and break our hearts tend to have a way of working themselves out. I don't know what the future holds for you, but I'm sure that, if you're a little patient, things will work out for the best."

And with that, he swam away, leaving Adam to gaze after him, a confused frown creasing his forehead. Then he looked back up at the surface above him. "But at least Ariel is a mermaid," he muttered to the empty sea. "Erica is a human. How will this possibly work out for the best?"

The sea had no answer for him.

…

The next day, Adam took another trip to the surface, climbing atop the rock and watching as Erica walked forlornly along the shore. She saw him and waved sadly, a gesture that he returned with equal grief in his heart. Unseen by either of them, Poseidon, Azure, and Star were all floating in the sea a few yards away from the rock, watching the young prince as he gazed at the shore, one hand to the locket on his chest. He opened his mouth and began to sing, his clear, tenor voice flowing across the sea and reaching Erica's ears. She closed her eyes as she listened to the merman's song, a melody of hopeless longing and heartbreak that chilled the Sea King.

"It's almost funny," he said quietly. "One of the things I missed the most when he was gone was the sound of his singing. And now…now that I'm hearing him sing, I wish he would stop."

Azure and Star exchanged sad glances.

"I just don't understand," Poseidon continued. "I thought he would be recovering by now. But he seems to be getting worse. What's wrong? Is he sick?"

"Oh yes, he is very sick, Dad," Azure replied, nodding. "But not the kind of sickness you're thinking of. He's lovesick."

Poseidon looked down at his son in surprise and then looked over at the princess on the shore. He sighed. "He really does love her, doesn't he?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, he does, Your Majesty," Star answered, nodding.

The Sea King sighed again. "Well, then I guess there's just one thing left for me to do."

Azure and Star looked questioningly up at him, but he didn't elaborate. Instead, he raised his trident and pointed it at his son. A jet of blue light shot from the tips and engulfed Adam's fins. The prince yelped and looked down in shock and confusion as his tail suddenly split apart and reformed into a pair of human legs once again. But there was no pain this time; the transformation was over in a second, so quickly that Adam was too stunned to react for a while. Then he looked up to see his father, brother, and best friend swimming toward him, all smiling broadly.

"Dad!" Adam gasped, leaning down as Poseidon drew level with him. "What…why…?"

"My dear son," the king said with a small sigh, "I hate to see you so miserable. Your happiness is the most important thing to me, and if this is what it takes to give you joy, then so be it."

"Oh…Dad!" Adam slid down into the sea and hugged his father, a broad smile spreading across his face. "Thank you, Dad! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, Adam," Poseidon said. "Just remember me, and the kingdom. Never forget us, all right?"

Adam nodded. "I promise," he breathed. "Dad…I love you."

Poseidon beamed. "I love you too, my son. And I always will."

Adam drew back and turned away. "One more thing," the king added, and the prince looked around. Poseidon raised his trident again and conjured a long, flowing purple robe. "If memory serves me correctly, humans frown on nudity."

Adam laughed and slipped the robe over his shoulders. Then he turned to Azure. "My brother," he said.

"I told you everything would work out," Azure said, grinning. "I wish you every happiness in the world, little bro."

"Thank you, Azure," Adam sighed, embracing his brother. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Azure murmured, returning the hug.

Adam drew back and then turned to Star, who was smiling sadly. "My dear friend," the prince sighed. "I'm going to miss you as well. Be sure to visit sometimes, okay?"

"I will, Adam," Star replied. "Now go on. Erica's waiting for you."

Adam beamed and nodded, turning around and striking out for land. Poseidon used his trident to calm the sea, making his journey a little easier, and in a few minutes, he was pulling himself from the ocean and running toward the princess, bracing himself for the pain in his feet that he'd grown accustomed. But to his surprise, none came. "Erica!" he cried.

Erica looked around and her mouth dropped open in surprise. "Adam?" she breathed, hardly daring to believe it. Then she laughed and cried, "Oh, Adam!"

Adam took the princess in his arms and spun her around, laughing with joy. When they stopped, Erica reached up and stroked his cheek with her fingertips. "But…how…?"

"My father," Adam answered, grinning. "He changed me back. He…he let me go." He glanced back out at the ocean and could just make out the figure of the Sea King floating near the rock, trident in his upraised hand. He turned his gaze back to the woman of his dreams and sighed, "Oh Erica, to be with you again…I can't even begin to describe my joy! I love you, Erica."

"I love you too, Adam," Erica sighed. "Prince of the Sea."

Adam chuckled and then leaned in to kiss her tenderly.

They were married in a beautiful ceremony that very week. King Poseidon rose to the occasion magnificently by conjuring an enormous floating platform that was connected to the shore by a long walkway. As Erica, dressed in a stunning white gown, walked up the aisle to where her prince stood waiting, she found herself surrounded by humans and merpeople alike, two kingdoms united by love and peace. Prince Adam was dressed in a fine suit of blue fabric, but he also wore the royal attire of the underwater kingdom, right down to the seashell shoulder pads and sword. He also wore the sash that his father had awarded to him for defeating the Sea Witch and, gleaming on his chest, Erica's golden locket.

They exchanged their vows, and the priest declared them husband and wife. They kissed, and everyone, human and merperson alike, went into transports of joy. Marcus came forward and bowed to Poseidon, saying, "I sincerely hope that our kingdoms will continue to be friends."

Poseidon smiled and turned toward Adam. "As long as my son wants us near, we will be here. And if you ever require our assistance, we will be glad to help." The Sea King bowed, and Adam beamed, walking forward and kneeling down on the platform. "My son…" Poseidon sighed, reaching up to rest his hands on the prince's shoulders. "I am so proud of you. I hope you will be happy here."

Adam nodded, tears brimming in his eyes. "I will be, Dad. Thank you so much, for everything."

Poseidon rose a little out of the water so that he could hug his son, an embrace that Adam gladly returned. "I love you, Adam," the Sea King whispered.

"I love you too, Dad," Adam replied.

They broke apart and Adam straightened, taking Erica into his arms. The radiant princess beamed up at him and took his head in her hands, kissing him passionately. Adam kissed her back, his heart leaping with joy. When they drew back, they turned their gaze to the merpeople that were, one by one, dipping back below the waves to return to the underwater world. Adam raised his hand and waved to them as they departed. Poseidon was the last to go, and he called, "I will see you again soon, my son!"

"I look forward to it!" Adam replied.

Beaming, the Sea King waved in farewell, and then with a flash of his fins, he was gone, vanished beneath the shimmering waves of the endless sea.

**A/N: The End! **

**I sincerely hope you enjoyed this story! As I said before, it has a special place in my heart and I hope I did the original fairy tale justice. Please leave a review if you haven't already. I love to hear from my readers. **


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